The three women flinch: feel something pass outside. A reek of singed fur, scorching damp. Flaming eyes. A creature. It knows these women. They feel its wanting. From the river it comes. To the river it always returns.

Alex is trying to hold her growing family together with a husband who is becoming more and more difficult to keep happy. Lauren hopes that the new man in her life might present a fresh start for her and her two boys. And Nancy's son has moved her into a care home where she feels entirely out of place, longing for her lost dog while dreaming of her own escape.

But there is something else at play here. Something lurking in the water or at the end of an unlit street; a shadow in a bag of strangers' clothing; a chorus of voices calling in the distance.

As each woman's world spirals from her grasp, they feel it getting closer, revealing the truth of what binds them together, and what must be done to set each of them free . . .

When mother-daughter con artists set out on their final heist, the job gets dangerously personal and deadly . . .

For all of Kat’s life, it’s been her and her mother, Jamie - except for 12 years ago, when Jamie was married for two days and Kat had a stepbrother, Liam. But all that ended in a swift divorce.

Now Jamie is a jewel thief trying to go straight, but she has one last job, at a billionaire's 80th birthday party. Neither Kat nor her mother know about two surprise guests: Liam and his father, a serial scammer with his own sights set on Ross Sutherland’s family.

Kat and Liam are on a collision course to disaster, and when someone dies, the two teens realize they might be in the killer’s crosshairs. They can’t trust anyone except each other.

Or can they? If there’s one thing both of them know, it’s how to be such charming liars . . .

Jennifer’s Body meets Heartstopper in this terrifying, tender, and bitingly hilarious supernatural horror about a boy who must save his best friend from a demon that wants to steal his heart—literally.
 
Ren says he’s in love, but Colin knows better.
 
Sure, he can't remember much about how it all began. But he remembers dancing at a club he and Ren were too young to dance in. He remembers the boys who harassed them on their way home. He remembers a ghost emerging from the trees, and a white hand reaching for Ren through a thick fog. What Colin can’t remember is what happened next. Only two things are clear to him: Ren is different now, and the new guy vying for his heart is not who he claims to be.
 
With the help of two unlikely allies and a cranky old medium, Colin must learn to conquer his self-doubt and save his best friend from a love that could cost him his life.
 
Equal parts campy and bewitching, Corey Liu’s debut YA novel explores predation, isolation, and what happens when a childhood dream of fairytale romance turns into a deadly nightmare.

Sierra Leone, 2000. While on patrol as part of a peacekeeping mission, eleven British soldiers are kidnapped.

The captors are a dangerous rebel group known as the West Side Boys. Fuelled by alcohol and drugs, the behaviour of the rebels is notoriously unpredictable. How long the soldiers have, no one knows. Rescuing them becomes the British military's highest priority, and so they bring in the SAS for Operation Barras, a mission that will go down in special forces history.

After negotiations break down, there are fears that the men being held in the compound could be executed at any moment, but there is no easy way in to save them. The only option is to shock the enemy on their home turf. A plan is put in place. The ambush begins.

Told from the perspectives of multiple people involved in the operation, and with Tony Hoare's expert insight into the forces, this is a heart-pounding retelling of one of the SAS's most dangerous missions.

After artist Joanne Bloch experienced serious sight loss, she felt called to explore what it means to be visually impaired in our society. Unseen gives both her own reflections and those of 20 other South Africans, each told in the unique voice of its contributor.

The conversations and stories in Unseen reveal many hidden complexities. They describe sensory and bodily adaptations, as well as the systemic barriers to basic rights that are built into our society. They show the constant need to counter ignorance and hostility and describe the social discomfort and isolation that often come with visual impairment. Yet these are not narratives of passive victims. Instead, they are idiosyncratic, compelling expressions of courage, humour, solidarity and resilience. Most of all, they reflect a determination to live a rich and fulfilling life despite every difficulty.

Unseen is not just about loss and struggle; it’s a testament to resilience, adaptation, and the human spirit. Through intimate portraits and thoughtful analysis, Bloch invites readers to reconsider their understanding of sight, disability, and what it means to truly perceive one another in a world that often disregards the visually impaired. This book is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the diverse experiences of disability and the power of human connection.

In the heart-aching new novel from the author of the award-winning Golden Child, a mother searches for the daughter she left behind a lifetime ago.

Trinidad, 1980: Dawn Bishop, aged 16, leaves her home and journeys across the sea to Venezuela. There, she gives birth to a baby girl, and leaves her with nuns to be given up for adoption.

Dawn tries to carry on with her life - a move to England, a marriage, a career, two sons, a divorce - but through it all, she still thinks of the child she had in Venezuela, and of what might have been.

Then, forty years later, a woman from an internet forum gets in touch. She says that she might be Dawn's long-lost daughter, stirring up a complicated mix of feelings: could this be the person to give form to all the love and care a mother has left to offer?

The first political history of the Second World War, of building the Grand Alliance to defeat Hitler, by the Sunday Times-bestselling author of Appeasing Hitler.

After the fall of France in June 1940, only Britain stood between Hitler and total victory. Desperate for allies, Winston Churchill did everything he could to bring the United States into the conflict, drive the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany apart and persuade neutral countries to resist German domination.

By 1942, after the German invasion of Russia and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the British-Soviet-American alliance was in place. Yet it was an improbable and incongruous coalition, divided by ideology and politics and riven with mistrust and deceit. Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin were partners in the fight to defeat Hitler, yet they were also rivals who disagreed on strategy, imperialism and the future of liberated Europe. Only by looking at their points of conflict, as well as of co-operation, are we able to understand the course of the war and world that developed in its aftermath.

Allies at War is a fast-paced, narrative history, based on material drawn from over a hundred archives. Using vivid, first-hand accounts and unpublished diaries, we enter the rooms where the critical decisions were made while going beyond the confines of the Grand Alliance to examine, among other themes, the doomed Anglo-French alliance, fractious relations with General de Gaulle and the Free French, and interactions with Poland, Greece and Nationalist China.

Ambitious and compelling, revealing the political drama behind the military events, Allies at War offers a fresh perspective on the Second World War and the origins of the Cold War.

On a hotly-contested battlefield, a prince whose touch creates life meets a soldier chosen by death. But can they forge a future together, from opposite sides of a great war?

Prince Elician is a Giver – a closely-guarded secret. He can heal any wound and bring the dead back to life. He also can’t be killed, so is cursed to watch his country wage an endless war. Reapers can kill with a single touch. And when one attacks Prince Elician near a hotly contested battlefield, the Reaper expects a terrible punishment. Instead, Elician offers him a new life on enemy territory.

Cat, as Elician calls him, hadn’t realized he could ever find someone who would make life worth living. Yet Elician’s enemies plan to turn his kindness against him. As the pieces of a deadly plot come together, tensions escalate at court and on the battlefield. The fires of conflict burst into new flame – but can those who wield the powers of life and death find peace?

A powerful and richly-imagined tale from a bold new voice in fantasy fiction. Expect themes of 'enemies to lovers' as well as 'found family' in this sweeping adventure.

Whether it's pumping oil, mining resources or shipping commodities across oceans, the global economy runs on extraction. Promises of frictionless trade and lucrative speculation are the hallmarks of our era, but the backbone of globalisation is still low-cost labour and rapacious corporate control. Extractive capitalism is what made - and is still making - our unequal world.

Professor Laleh Khalili reflects on the hidden stories behind late capitalism, from seafarers abandoned on debt-ridden container ships to the nefarious reach of consultancy firms and the cronyism that drives record-breaking profits.

Piercing, wry and constantly revealing, Extractive Capitalism brings vividly to light the dark truths behind the world's most voracious industries.

HOW MUCH IS SHE WILLING TO SACRIFICE TO CLAIM HER THRONE?

A powerfully blessed blacksmith must use her wits and fire magic to overthrow the corrupt powers ruling the kingdom, while also fighting her desire for a certain dragon-riding adversary in this sizzling Celtic-inspired romantasy, perfect for fans of House of the Dragon and Fourth Wing.

Once a territory built on matriarchal rule, Tìr Teine has been without a female heir for centuries. Through a long line of corrupt kings, an oppressive anti-magic teaching has infected the land - leading to the tragic decline of the dragons.

Aemyra was born to lead, gifted with fire magic from the Goddess Brigid. For years she has hidden in the shadows, waiting for the king to die so she can bond to his dragon, claim her birthright and protect her people.

When her carefully laid plans are foiled, Aemyra is thrust into a deadly game of politics and plots. Her greatest enemy? Prince Fiorean - the dragon-riding, fire-wielding royal whose icy arrogance and raw power thwart her every step. But as chaos engulfs the court, Aemyra and Prince Fiorean are forced to forge an uneasy alliance to survive. And in the heat of battle, their mutual hatred ignites something neither of them can control.

Behind enemy lines and slowly falling for the only man that stands between her and the throne, Aemyra begins to uncover the true weight of the crown. Will she ignite the flames of change for her people - or will love burn her alive?

An unputdownable gothic contemporary fantasy with the feuding families of Romeo and Juliet, the dark magic of Krystal Sutherland and a love triangle to rival The Inheritance Games.

The locals of Idlewood whisper of a tragic love story that began a decades long blood feud.

For as long as anyone can remember, the De Luca witches and the wealthy Barrion family have been sworn enemies. Ever since the curse that changed their fates forever. Now, if a Barrion falls in love with you, you’ll die.

But when Penny Emberly’s mother becomes the curse’s latest victim, she must bring together two bitter rivals, Alonso and Corey, in order to save her mum’s life and stop the feud for good.

But as the trio navigates unpredictable magic, the tangled web of their family histories, and complicated attractions, it becomes clear that there’s more than dark secrets at play.

Can Penny find a way to break the curse . . . without losing her heart in the process?

Once upon a time there was a tiny kingdom called Cornucopia, as rich in happiness as it was in gold, and famous for its food. From the delicate cream cheeses of Kurdsburg to the Hopes-of-Heaven pastries of Chouxville, each was so delicious that people wept with joy as they ate them.

But even in this happy kingdom, a monster lurks. Legend tells of a fearsome creature living far to the north in the Marshlands... the Ickabog. Some say it breathes fire, spits poison, and roars through the mist as it carries off wayward sheep and children alike. Some say it's just a myth...

And when that myth takes on a life of its own, casting a shadow over the kingdom, two children - best friends Bert and Daisy - embark on a great adventure to untangle the truth and find out where the real monster lies, bringing hope and happiness to Cornucopia once more.

A retelling of one of literature's great novels, Oliver Twist, from the point of view of Nancy, one of the most sympathetic, most maligned and most tragic of Dickens's characters. For readers of The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks.

Nancy has spent her whole life on the vibrant and gritty streets of Victorian London, first as one of Fagin's child pickpockets and now on the arm of violent and mercurial Bill Sikes. Nancy does what she must to get by. She's attuned to the harsh realities of life, but also knows how to find moments of beauty amid the grime, even if it is only the scent and taste of an orange - its miraculous colour and form.

When she embarks on a relationship with enigmatic gentleman Mr Rufus, it awakens emotions she's never felt before, and makes a better life feel possible for the first time. But when she takes cherubic orphan Oliver Twist under her wing, something even more elusive and appealing seems to be within reach: redemption.

This captivating tale of love, sacrifice, and the battle between good and evil showcases the power of compassion in a world tainted by darkness.

Book 6 in Alexander McCall Smith's entertaining and hilarious Professor von Igelfeld series.

Professor Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld is not just any German professor - he is the author of that great work of scholarship, Portuguese Irregular Verbs. His eminence in language studies is widely recognised, even if it is rarely acknowledged by his colleague, Professor Detlev-Amadeus Unterholzer, author of a much less important work on the subjunctive. Their rivalry bubbles away under the surface, but is apt to come into the open if something unusual disturbs the calm waters of the institute in Regensburg in which they both work.

One such event is the arrival from New Orleans of two visiting scholars. These ladies, Professor Pom Pom Boisseau, and her friend, Professor Alice Martinique, are both experts in the Proven al language as well as being keen bikers. When they choose to arrive on large, noisy motorbikes, Unterholzer is shocked, but von Igelfeld is rather taken with Pom Pom. In fact, he is very taken with her, even to the extent of going for a ride with her on her motorbike.

Anybody can tell that this infatuation will lead to disappointment, if not worse. But for von Igelfeld, disasters often arrive in twos and threes. The great professor is invited to attend a student occasion in which the old habit of duelling rears its head. He is handed a sword...

Von Igelfeld may suffer humiliation after humiliation, but at the end of it all there is the promise of a visit to Louisiana, a culinary paradise, where important research is being undertaken into communication among oysters...

A gripping new police procedural thriller from Simon Toyne featuring criminologist Dr Laughton Rees and DCI Tannahill Khan.

When a headless corpse washes up on the bank of the Thames, DCI Tannahill Khan knows this wasn’t accidental – the killer wanted the body found. This is just the beginning.

The post mortem reveals a shocking discovery. Written on the dead man’s arm is Forensic Criminologist Dr Laughton Rees’ home address.

With her life in danger and more bodies washing up along the river, Laughton and Tannahill are in a race against time to stop the killer before Laughton’s own name reaches the top of his list

Discover the life guide that has developed world champions, empowered athletes to become world #1, and most importantly, transformed their hearts and minds. This step-by-step training manual from one of the world's top mental skills coaches will teach you how to train your mind like the very best.

Whether you’re an athlete or entrepreneur, single mother or father of five, you’ll find exercises, techniques and tools in this book that will improve every area of your life. Your life will take on new meaning as you move beyond the pursuit of happiness to a life of purpose and fulfillment.

Jim Murphy's complete program of proven mental techniques is based on the powerful principles of love, wisdom, and courage, that came from over six years of full-time research and writing (after his masters degree in Coaching Science).

Inner Excellence will show you how to:

• DEVELOP SELF-MASTERY—and let go of what you can’t control
• OVERCOME ANXIETY—and build powerful mental habits
• REMOVE MENTAL BLOCKS—and get out of your own way
• TRAIN YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND—and release limiting beliefs

As a professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization, Jim’s sense of worth and identity revolved around his performance. He was obsessed with fame but also afraid of failure, and that fear made him struggle under the pressure to perform.

When he started coaching professional and Olympic athletes, he saw the same pattern over and over again: athletes had lost their joy and passion for life as the fear of failure engulfed their lives. This book will share with you how some of the best athletes in the world transformed their careers through Inner Excellence.

You'll learn how Inner Excellence propelled them to extraordinary performance even when they were filled with doubt and uncertainty, and how you can excel in the same way in your life.

Further immerses the reader in the world of endurance cycling as well-known former professional cyclist Michael Hutchinson talks to ultra-distance athletes, exercise scientists, nutritionists and psychologists - 'those who've done it and those who understand it'- as he unpicks both the physical and mental demands, attempts to understand the key to successful endurance, and tries not to get himself accidentally killed while riding a frankly terrifyingly long-distance event.

Detectives Alex Cross and John Sampson must divide and conquer when they’re sent to investigate two serious crimes.

In Washington DC, John Sampson stands in a crater in the middle of a street and calls in the bomb squad for a suspected terrorist attack.

In North Carolina, Alex Cross searches the apartment of a missing psychology grad student – his own son Damon. Has following in his famous father’s footsteps made Damon a target?

From FBI headquarters to police stations, airplanes to murder scenes, the detectives track crimes committed hundreds of miles apart.

It will take more than distance to weaken their unstoppable partnership.

A hilarious and whip-smart crime novel by the multimillion-copy bestselling author of the Horrible Histories. The perfect mystery for fans of Anthony Horowitz, Robert Thorogood and Ian Moore.

It is 1973 and the lives of four people are thrown into turmoil when sharing a carriage with an unremarkable little man with glasses, on the night train back to Newcastle.

By the end of the following day, one of them will be dead, one will turn blackmailer and another forced to commit a crime. And all of them will be under the astute observation of Aline, the local police officer with her own agenda to fulfil...

When the body count begins to rise, the question is: just how many murderers are out there... and who will be the next victim?

Two women. Four decades. A lifetime of secrets.

1978: A scholarship draws Nancy from Gambia's warmth into Sweden's winter. When her friendship with charismatic scholar Lars blossoms into something more, she thinks she may have finally found her place. But there's more to Lars than his charming persona, and Nancy is about to discover the danger of being drawn into his world…

2006: Tina has had her taste of fame as the nation's Eurovision pop princess. But beneath her glittery façade, Tina is desperate to discover who she really is. Her mother, Nancy, seems desperate to keep the past under wraps, but will an unexpected figure help open the door?

Spanning four decades and three continents, Bitter Honey is a story of mothers, daughters, and the importance of carving your own path.

Have you struggled to get diagnosed, be believed or get the right treatment for endometriosis? This book is for you.

We still don't know what causes endometriosis, and we don't know how to cure it either. What we do know is that it can cause debilitating pain and seriously affect mental health. Endometriosis is not 'just a bad period', it is a whole-body disease which is as common as asthma or diabetes, affecting 1 in 10 women. Yet it is barely covered in medical school, leaving sufferers repeatedly dismissed when trying to access care.

Backed with up-to-date scientific knowledge and interviews with endometriosis specialists and those affected by the condition, Jen Moore gives you all the tools you need to:

• Understand what endometriosis is (and what it is not)
• Deal with the system and get a diagnosis
• Navigate the ins and outs of surgery
• Cope with physical and mental pain
• Fight for better endometriosis care

This beacon of hope is your go-to guide to endometriosis, getting the care you deserve and finally feeling seen and heard.

A fast-paced, heartfelt ride through love, loss, and spiritual awakening.

Holly thought she'd found everything she ever wanted―until the man of her dreams shattered her heart and left her questioning everything. Betrayed and broken, her world unravels. But the opportunity of a lifetime lands in her lap, and she travels to India. Amidst a whirlwind of self-discovery, soul-stirring transformations (and a juicy revenge), she learns that love, though painful, can lead to something even greater.

Arielle Ford’s The Love Thief is a deliciously inspiring story for anyone who believes that even the most shattered heart can heal―especially when sprinkled with a dash of magic and a side of mouthwatering Indian recipes.

Dr Mosley explains why we pile on dangerous abdominal fat and shows us how to shed it, fast. He demolishes common myths and offers practical, science-backed advice for lasting change.

The 8-week plan includes 3 core principles - a low-carb eating plan; advice on physical activity; key mental health activities - which work together alongside the menu plans to create a powerful programme to control blood sugar levels, prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes, and promote weight loss.

Professor Roy Taylor, bestselling author of Life Without Diabetes, has fully revised the book , with major updates on epidemiological studies, research and thinking on fatty liver and pancreas, new data and definitions of waist hip ratio, as well as new recipe nutritional information.

This is a book not just for those at highest risk but for anyone who has struggled with their weight and wants to regain control of their health.

Local pharmacist and pillar of the community, Idris Khan, spends his days doling out methadone to the hundreds of addicts in his care. They trust Idris with their secrets, and so he knows more than his mild manner suggests. So when his childhood sweetheart, Rebecca, doesn't turn up for her daily methadone dose, Idris is worried. Worried enough to go looking for her in the most deprived area of Leeds, alone.

The mess Idris finds catapults him into the middle of a turf war between the two most powerful drug cartels in Yorkshire. Now, he must use every bit of intelligence and cunning he has to keep those he loves safe.

Because a war is on the way. And when Idris goes after his enemies, they won't see him coming.

NO ONE IS SAFE FROM THE SERIAL KILLER
 
NOT EVEN SCARPETTA…
 
During the early hours of Christmas morning, chief medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta receives a chilling call. The Phantom Slasher has struck again.

The serial killer has terrorized Northern Virginia for months. His pattern is to stalk with a sophisticated technology that enables him to invade his victims' homes and watch their every move. They wake up to a ghost-like hologram before being murdered in their beds.
 
Scarpetta is summoned to Mercy Island, the site of a notorious psychiatric hospital where two people have been brutalized, one of them from Scarpetta’s past. It soon becomes apparent that she could be next…