One day, five lives, but whose heart will be broken by nightfall? It started like any other day in the picturesque village of Weirbridge. Tress Walker waved her perfect husband Max off to work, with no idea that she was about to go into labour with their first child. And completely unaware that when she tried to track Max down, he wouldn't be where he was supposed to be. At the same time, Max's best friend Noah Clark said goodbye to his wife, Anya, blissfully oblivious that he would soon discover the woman he adored had been lying to him for years. And living alongside the two couples, their recently widowed friend, Nancy Jenkins, is getting ready to meet Eddie, her first true love at a school reunion. Will Nancy have the chance to rekindle an old flame, or will she choose to stay by Tress's side when she needs her most? One Day with You - two fateful goodbyes, two unexpected hellos, and 24 hours that change everything.

Pre-order the BRAND NEW laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from bestseller Portia MacIntosh! Two reluctant housemates. One question: Is this your place or mine...? When Serena is kicked out of her flat, an offer from her friend, Taylor, to house sit for her while she and her husband go travelling could not be better timing. But unfortunately for Serena she's not the only one to have received this offer... Enter Ziggy: arrogant, messy (and annoyingly handsome) musician, and friend of Taylor's husband. Living with him is far from ideal, especially when he claims the best room, has loud parties - and the least said about his kitchen manner the better... There's just one solution for Serena - drive him out of the house by being twice as difficult to live with than he is! But Ziggy knows Serena's game and as war ensues between them, being forced together under one roof may result in some unexpected consequences... Don't miss bestseller Portia MacIntosh's brand new laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

The world's greatest mystery writers on the world's greatest mystery novels:

Michael Connelly on "The Little Sister ." . .

Kathy Reichs on "The Silence of the Lambs . . ."

Mark Billingham on "The Maltese Falcon . . ."

Ian Rankin on "I Was Dora Suarez . . ."

With so many mystery novels to choose among, and so many new titles appearing each year, where should a reader start? What are the classics of the genre? Which are the hidden gems?

In the most ambitious anthology of its kind yet attempted, the world's leading mystery writers have come together to champion the greatest mystery novels ever written. In a series of personal essays that often reveal as much about the authors and their own work as they do about the books that they love, 119 authors from 20 countries have created a guide that will be indispensable for generations of readers and writers. From Agatha Christie to Lee Child, from Edgar Allan Poe to P. D. James, from Sherlock Holmes to Hannibal Lecter and Philip Marlowe to Lord Peter Wimsey, "Books to Die For "brings together the cream of the mystery world for a feast of reading pleasure, a treasure trove for those new to the genre and for those who believe that there is nothing new left to discover. This is the one essential book for every reader who has ever finished a mystery novel and thought . . .

"I want more "

"*** "

"Why does the mystery novel enjoy such enduring appeal? There is no simple answer. It has a distinctive capacity for subtle social commentary, a concern with the disparity between law and justice, and a passion for order, however compromised. Even in the vision of the darkest of mystery writers, it provides us with a glimpse of the world as it might be, a world in which good men and women do not stand idly by and allow the worst aspects of human nature to triumph without opposition. It can touch upon all these facets while still entertaining the reader."

--From the introduction of "Books to Die For"

An enhanced exam section: expert guidance on approaching exam questions, writing high-quality responses and using critical interpretations, plus practice tasks and annotated sample answer extracts. Key skills covered: focused tasks to develop your analysis and understanding, plus regular study tips, revision questions and progress checks to track your learning. The most in-depth analysis: detailed text summaries and extract analysis to in-depth discussion of characters, themes, language, contexts and criticism, all helping you to succeed.

During what has become officially known as the genocide against the Tutsi, as many as one million Rwandan people were brutally massacred between April and July 1994. This book presents a critical study of fictional responses by authors inside and outside Rwanda to the 1994 genocide. Focusing on a large and original corpus of creative writing by African authors, including writers from Rwanda, Rwanda Genocide Stories: Fiction After 1994 examines the positionality of authors and their texts in relation to the genocide. How do issues of 'ethnicity', nationality, geographical location and family history affect the ways in which creative writers respond to what happened in 1994? And how do such factors lead to authors and their texts being positioned by others? The book is organized around the principal subject positions created by the genocide, categories that have particular connotations and have become fraught with political tension and ambiguity in the context of post-genocide Rwanda. Through analysis of the figures of tourists, witnesses, survivors, victims and perpetrators, the book identifies the ways in which readers of genocide stories are compelled to reevaluate their knowledge of Rwanda and take an active role in commemorative processes: as self-critical tourists, ethical witnesses, judges or culpable bystanders, we are encouraged to acknowledge and assume our own responsibility for what happened in 1994.

Ever since Ian Watt's The Rise of the novel (1957), many critics have argued that a constitutive element of the early 'novel' is its embrace of realism. Anne F. Widmayer contends, however, that Restoration and early eighteenth-century prose narratives employ techniques that distance the reading audience from an illusion of reality; irony, hypocrisy, and characters who are knowingly acting for an audience are privileged, highlighting the artificial and false in fictional works. Focusing on the works of four celebrated playwright-novelists, Widmayer explores how the increased interiority of their prose characters is ridiculed by the use of techniques drawn from the theatre to throw into doubt the novel's ability to portray an unmediated 'reality'. Aphra Behn's dramatic techniques question the reliability of female narrators, while Delarivier Manley undermines the impact of women's passionate anger by suggesting the self-consciousness of their performances. In his later drama, William Congreve subverts the character of the apparently objective critic that is recurrent in his prose work, whilst Henry Fielding uses the figure of the satirical writer in his rehearsal plays to mock the novelist's aspiration to control the way a reader reads the text. Through analysing how these writers satirize the reading public's desire for clear distinctions between truth and illusion, Anne F. Widmayer also highlights the equally fluid boundaries between prose fiction and drama.

For anyone who loved St Trinian's - old or new - or loves a cozy mystery on a grand estate filled with rather 'interesting' characters. Gemma Lamb is ready for an uneventful term at St Bride's, she's had enough of dastardly deeds and sinister strangers. However, she's barely back at school before: Unlucky in love Oriana is sneaking around at odd hours Handsome Joe is keeping secrets Militant Mavis feels a scandal is brewing It's all a bit much, so when a stranger appears, Gemma thinks she's had enough. But this stranger isn't so sinister, instead he looks rather too familiar. If Gemma can't get him away from the school the whispers and scandal his presence could unleash may just close St Bride's doors for good. Gemma's joined forces with her colleagues to save the school in the past, but this time she's going to have to do it on her own . . .

William Goyen was a writer of startling originality and deep artistic commitment whose work attracted an international audience and the praise of such luminaries as Northrop Frye, Truman Capote, Gaston Bachelard, and Joyce Carol Oates. His subject was the land and language of his native East Texas; his desire, to preserve the narrative music through which he came to know his world. Goyen sought to transform the cherished details of his lost boyhood landscape into lasting, mythic forms. Cut off from his native soil and considering himself an "orphan," Goyen brought modernist alienation and experimentation to Texas materials. The result was a body of work both sophisticated and handmade-and a voice at once inimitable and unmistakable. It Starts with Trouble is the first complete account of Goyen's life and work. It uncovers the sources of his personal and artistic development, from his early years in Trinity, Texas, through his adolescence and college experience in Houston; his Navy service during World War II; and the subsequent growth of his writing career, which saw the publication of five novels, including The House of Breath, nonfiction works such as A Book of Jesus, several short story collections and plays, and a book of poetry. It explores Goyen's relationships with such legendary figures as Frieda Lawrence, Katherine Anne Porter, Stephen Spender, Anais Nin, and Carson McCullers. No other twentieth-century writer attempted so intimate a connection with his readers, and no other writer of his era worked so passionately to recover the spiritual in an age of disabling irony. Goyen's life and work are a testament to the redemptive power of storytelling and the absolute necessity of narrative art.

Jane Austen collected her childhood writings into three manuscript notebooks, both as a record of her earliest work and for the convenience of reading aloud to her family and friends. Volume the First (as she entitled it) contains fourteen pieces - literary skits and family jokes - dating from about 1787, when she was eleven, to 1793. Amusing in themselves, they give us a direct picture of the lively literary and family milieu in which the novelist's juvenilia was formed. This new edtion carries a Foreword by Lord David Cecil, a former president of the Jane Austen Society and Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford. There is also a Publisher's Preface by Brian Southam, author of Jane Austen's Literary Manuscripts and other works on Jane Austen.

Finalist for the 2022 Mythopoeic Scholarship Award for Myth and Fantasy Studies From the time of Charles Dickens, the imaginative power of the city of London has frequently inspired writers to their most creative flights of fantasy. Charting a new history of London fantasy writing from the Victorian era to the 21st century, Fairy Tales of London explores a powerful tradition of urban fantasy distinct from the rural tales of writers such as J.R.R. Tolkien. Hadas Elber-Aviram traces this urban tradition from Dickens, through the scientific romances of H.G. Wells, the anti-fantasies of George Orwell and Mervyn Peake to contemporary science fiction and fantasy writers such as Michael Moorcock, Neil Gaiman and China Mieville.

All NEW from bestselling psychological thriller writer Keri BeevisWhen you're a kid, you imagine monsters to have horns and fangs. That they hide under the bed or in the wardrobe. And you believe they can only come after you when it's dark. You don't expect them to look like everyday people or that they may be someone you already know... The summer in question started out with hot, fun-filled days and new friendships. We had just turned thirteen and had our whole lives ahead of us. But that was before her... Before we became known as the Hixton Five and our lives become defined by one night. It's hard to believe twenty years have passed since she was locked away. But now she's free and strange things have started to happen. When I close my eyes, the creeping anxiety and fear is overwhelming and all too real. Because the monster is back, and I know she has a score to settle with us.Praise for The Sleepover 'Another winner from Ms Beevis. A gripping story with plenty of twists and turns.' - J.A. Baker'An atmospheric thriller that grips until the last page. Beevis at her best!' - Diana Wilkinson 'One of my favourite authors! Keri Beevis does it again, with this fast-paced, chilling thriller!' - Amanda Brittany 'Beevis delivers again with a creepy unsettling tale that had me looking nervously over my shoulder.'- Valerie Keogh 'A twisty psychological thriller that will have you racing towards the big finale at breakneck speed. Don't expect to sleep until you've devoured the very last page. Loved it!' - Carla Kovach 'I couldn't sleep. I HAD to finish this book' - NJ Moss 'Another suspenseful page-turner from this very talented author.' - John Nicholl 'Brilliant, chilling, and unputdownable.' - - Gemma Rogers'Beevis has created a dark psychological thriller thick with atmosphere. Cleverly woven threads pull together in a heart-stopping conclusion in this satisfyingly clever tale. Highly recommended.' - Diane Saxon 'Another cracker from Beevis. A dark, twisty 5 star read' - Dan Scottow 'A disturbingly chilling thriller which is completely gripping. The Sleepover is an intense mystery full of clever twists which I didn't see coming.' - Alex Stone

'York Notes Advanced' offer an accessible approach to English Literature. This series has been completely updated to meet the needs of today's A-level and undergraduate students. Written by established literature experts, York Notes Advanced introduce students to more sophisticated analysis, a range of critical perspectives and wider contexts.

'Wonderfully festive' Jo BartlettHollywood comes to Roseford, as Christmas wishes really do come true...The sleepy Somerset village of Roseford is the temporary home for the cast and crew of the latest Christmas movie, and there's excitement in the air. When Lucy Cameron, the owner of Roseford Cafe, is asked to fulfil a last-minute catering order on set, she can't believe her luck. Lucy's erstwhile teenage crush, Finn Sanderson, is the star of the film, alongside his glamorous co-star, Montana de Santo, with whom he has been linked on and off the screen, and their sprinkle of stardust around the village is intoxicating. With Christmas approaching and the snow starting to fall, Lucy's path keeps crossing with Finn's, and she starts to get to know the man behind the movie star. As her feelings grow, so too do Lucy's reservations about even considering becoming involved with someone so well-known. And when Lucy finds herself at the centre of a social media storm, her fears seem to be justified. Are happy-ever-afters just the preserve of Christmas movies, or could Lucy and Finn star in their very own festive love story... Revel in the perfect country Christmas romance from Fay Keenan, just right for all fans of Julie Houston, Cathy Bramley and Holly Martin. What authors and readers say about Fay Keenan's novels: 'Wonderfully festive and will appeal to fans of feel-good romance everywhere. It's got the charm of Notting Hill and the Christmassy magic of The Holiday all rolled into one.' Jo Bartlett 'A gorgeous rural romance full of warmth and charm.' Victoria Connelly 'Guaranteed to put a spring in your step. Feel-good, frisky and great fun with a hearty dash of romance and intrigue.' Julie Houston 'Moving, funny, thoughtful and romantic. Bring on the next one!' Jenny Kane 'From only a few pages in I knew I was set to love this story and I literally couldn't put it down until it was finished. A fantastic read and a lovely glimpse into the Somerset countryside. Best enjoyed with a large cup of tea or coffee and a stash of biscuits.' 'I found New Beginnings At Roseford Hall a delight to read from start to finish and I absolutely loved it.' 'New Beginnings At Roseford Hall is superbly written, but then I have come to expect nothing less from Fay Keenan.' 'Fay has one of those easy-going writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of her books feels more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book.'

The Royal Tenenbaums meets J. D. Salinger in this "sharply observed and bittersweet family romance with a rock 'n' roll heart" (Elle). Claudio and Mathilde Simone, once romantic bohemians hopelessly enamored with each other, find themselves nestled in domesticity in New York, running a struggling vinyl record store and parenting three daughters as best they can: Natasha, an overachieving prodigy; sensitive Lucy, with her debilitating heart condition; and Carly, adopted from China and quietly fixated on her true origins. With prose that is as keen and illuminating as it is whimsical and luminous, debut novelist Christine Reilly tells the unusual love story of this family. Poignant and humane, Sunday's on the Phone to Monday is a deft exploration of the tender ties that bind families together, even as they threaten to tear them apart.

Authorship's Wake examines the aftermath of the 1960s critique of the author, epitomized by Roland Barthes's essay, "The Death of the Author." This critique has given rise to a body of writing that confounds generic distinctions separating the literary and the theoretical. Its archive consists of texts by writers who either directly participated in this critique, as Barthes did, or whose intellectual formation took place in its immediate aftermath. These writers include some who are known primarily as theorists (Judith Butler), others known primarily as novelists (Zadie Smith, David Foster Wallace), and yet others whose texts are difficult to categorize (the autofiction of Chris Kraus, Sheila Heti, and Ben Lerner; the autotheory of Maggie Nelson). These writers share not only a central motivating question - how to move beyond the critique of the author-subject - but also a way of answering it: by writing texts that merge theoretical concerns with literary discourse. Authorship's Wake traces the responses their work offers in relation to four themes: communication, intention, agency, and labor.

New from the NUMBER ONE bestselling author of The Note.As friends and family gather for the funeral of charming and charismatic Seb Cooper, three women sit in the congregation, mourning his loss. First there is Clair, Seb's wife and partner of twenty years, and mother of his two children. Furious at Seb for dying and leaving their children without a father, Clair isn't sure of her place, and has been left baffled and bemused by the conflicting stories of Seb's last days. Then there's Desiree, the woman Seb left Clair for. Heartbroken, self-conscious, and wondering if she made a mistake coming today. And the third and noisiest mourner of all is Noemie - Seb's lover and the last woman to see him alive. Three women who loved Seb in their own different ways. Three women whose lives have now changed forever. But only one woman knows what really happened at the end...and only one truly had his heart... Bestseller Zoe Folbigg returns with a utterly compelling and page-turning tale of love, betrayal, family and unlikely friendships. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Celeste Ng and JoJo Moyes. 'Telling the life story of Sebastian Cooper through the eyes of the very different women who loved him, this immersive and beautifully written story is exactly what you want to be reading under a duvet.' Stylist Praise for Zoe Folbigg: 'The Three Loves of Sebastian Cooper is a cleverly constructed, brilliantly insightful book with a glorious cast of characters. You'll be racing through the final chapters!' Paige Toon 'A beautifully-written, perfectly-crafted novel about love, loss and family that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I love how we meet the entire cast of characters (some of whom you'll love, others you'll hate!) in the present and then weave back in time to discover their connection to the infamous Sebastian Cooper. Pacy, evocative, intriguing and complex - I loved it! Lorraine Brown 'Folbigg's beautiful tale of love and loss owned my heart from page one. Riveting and touching with an intriguing cast of characters from Sebastian Cooper's past and present, this gorgeous story is a must-read. Highly recommend!' Jacquelyn Middleton 'Zoe Folbigg's new novel, The Three Loves of Sebastian Cooper, is a brilliant, warm-hearted take on the complexities of love, and the messiness and joy of family life." Ian Critchley, book reviewer 'The Night We Met will warm and break your heart in equal measure, and make you laugh out loud and sob quietly. A lovely gem.' Heat 'Bestselling author Zoe works her magic again in this lovely tale' Now! on The Distance

The early eighteenth century was a vibrant period for European journalism. Already the author of several journals including the first spectator in French (Le Misanthrope), Justus van Effen attempted to capture the Regency spirit in France with La Bagatelle, also modelled on the English Spectator. Characterised by their overtly ironic tone, the Bagatelliste's comments range from witty observations on contemporary society or literary controversies to bolder and more subversive reflections on the principles of inheritance or religious orthodoxy. Produced as a twice-weekly quarter sheet, La Bagatelle included short works of poetry and prose; brevity and stealth were its tools and its defences. In this first critical edition of La Bagatelle, James L. Schorr uncovers the sources of each periodical essay, and situates Van Effen's ironic commentaries in their social and cultural context. Tracing the influence of classical as well as contemporary English writers, Schorr also explores an evolution in the character of the Bagatelliste himself, from the seventeenth-century 'man of science' to the philosophe of the Enlightenment. Containing substantive textual commentary and variants from the 1718-19 and 1722-24 issues, Schorr's critical edition represents a major addition to our knowledge of early eighteenth-century French journalism and the intellectual climate in which it flourished. Published with kind support from the Dr. C. Louise Thijssen-Schoute Foundation.

For anyone who loved St Trinian's - old or new - or read Malory Towers as a kid. St Brides is the perfect read for you. When Gemma Lamb takes a job at a quirky English girls' boarding school, she believes she's found the perfect escape route from her controlling boyfriend - until she discovers the rest of the staff are hiding sinister secrets: Hairnet, the eccentric headmistress who doesn't hold with academic qualifications Oriana Bliss, Head of Maths and master of disguise Joscelyn Spryke, the suspiciously rugged Head of PE Geography teacher Mavis Brook, surreptitiously selling off the library books creepy night watchman Max Security, with his network of hidden tunnels Even McPhee, the school cat, is leading a double life. Tucked away in the school's beautiful private estate in the Cotswolds, can Gemma stay safe and build a new independent future, or will past secrets catch up with her and the rest of the staff? With a little help from her new friends, including some wise pupils, she's going to give it her best shot... Previously published by Debbie Young as Secrets at St Bride's.