EVERY MOTHER'S WORST NIGHTMARE IS ABOUT TO COME TRUE...Based on a gripping and moving true story, The Stolen Baby is the new Second World War novel from bestselling author Diney Costeloe. Plymouth, 1941. As sirens blare all around, the Shawbrook family take refuge in a packed shelter. Bombs have already begun to fall through the night sky when they realise their infant son, Freddie, has been forgotten in the rush, left to sleep in his crib. Terrified, Vera, his young mother races to find him and bring him to safety. The next morning, police officer David Shawbrook returns from his watch to find the shelter pulverised, and his family seemingly all dead. Dirty footprints inside their home betray the looters who have rifled through the house. Meanwhile, Maggie waits alone for her husband. Since the death of her infant son, she passes her days at home with neither joy nor aim. But not this morning. For this morning her husband has brought home a child, found abandoned in the aftermath of the terrible raid - a child she is sure is the one she held in her arms so many months before. Praise for Diney Costeloe 'Truly captivating' Woman & Home 'This is a truly captivating read that brings together vibrant characters and a historical setting' Woman's Own 'A gripping saga' My Weekly 'A treat from the very first page. I could not put it down' Historical Novel Society

**SHORTLISTED FOR THE CARNEGIE AWARD** 'Powerful . . . shattering . . . a masterpiece' The Times 'Testament of love and sacrifice . . . a masterpiece' Joshua Ferris, Guardian 'Transcendent and timeless . . . masterpiece' Washington Post Aron is a nine-year-old Polish Jew, and a troublemaker. His mother despairs of him. His father beats him. He tries to be good. But in 1939, as the walls go up around the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw, as lice and typhus rage, families starve and fight, it is Aron who finds a way - however dangerous, however treacherous - to survive. It isn't until he lands at the feet of Janusz Korczak - orphanage director and reluctant hero - that he learns of something greater than survival. **With new exclusive endmatter, featuring a biography of Korczak and questions for book clubs**

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROMANTIC NOVELISTS' ASSOCIATION HISTORICAL ROMANTIC NOVEL AWARD A gripping and poignant love story set in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands at the end of the Second World War, from the bestselling author of Water for Elephants. 'The only fault I can find with this book is that I've already finished it' Jodi Picoult 1945. After disgracing themselves at a high society party, spoilt young Philadelphia socialites Maddie and Ellis Hyde are cut off from the family without a penny. Ellis decides their salvation will be to hunt down the Loch Ness Monster, a venture his father very publicly failed at. So, oblivious to WW2 raging around them, they make their way to the Scottish Highlands, where Maddie has to face reality and decide just who the real monsters are. 'Truly enthralling' Scotsman 'Breathtaking' Harper's Bazaar

It was said that Stalingrad had been burning since August, ever since the first German bombs were dropped...Sven Hassel and his comrades are plunged into the maelstrom of Stalingrad. Radio Moscow reports that one German soldier dies every minute. Trapped by the Russian counter-attack, starving soldiers must resort to cannibalism to survive. But 'Tiny', Porta, the Legionnaire and Sven attempt to break out, to fight their way across the frozen steppe. Their leader: an SS general who takes no prisoners...

BY THE AUTHOR OF THE 2021 BOOKER PRIZE-SHORTLISTED AND 2022 WOMEN'S FICTION PRIZE-SHORTLISTED GREAT CIRCLE 'The same chilling brilliance of Daphne du Maurier's most unsettling short fiction' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Has an innate charm of its own. Beautifully realised' DAILY MAIL 'It's a rare writer who can create a world as convincingly over a few pages as in a 600-page novel; Shipstead's fluency in both forms is testament to the skill she modestly casts as a work in progress' Stephanie Merritt, GUARDIAN 'Maggie Shipstead combines cinematic scope with a poet's attention to detail' THE TIMES A collection of sparkling award-winning stories from Maggie Shipstead, epic storyteller and astonishing chronicler of the daring and the damaged. Diving into eclectic and vivid settings, from an Olympic village to a deathbed in Paris to a Pacific atoll, and illuminating a cast of unforgettable characters, Shipstead traverses the ordinary and extraordinary with cunning, compassion, and wit. Meet the silent cowgirl and horse wrangler escaping an ugly home life, only to fall into a decade-long triangle of unrequited love; a male novelist who is just reckoning with his own pretentiousness as his debut novel goes to print; a honeymoon couple's time in the hills of Romania builds into a moment of shattering tragedy. In the title story, a famous child actress breaks away from a religious cult, as she tells - with brittle candour - her tale of childhood damage and the dark side of fame. Exuding both tenderness and bite, Shipstead exposes complicated truths in this dazzling collection sealing her reputation as an astonishingly versatile master of fiction. --------------------- 'Shipstead is a writer who can vividly summon whatever she chooses, taking the reader deep inside the world she creates' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Shipstead observes people beautifully' THE TIMES

"Absolutely riveting. A stay-up-all night read about two very different women who discover just how strong they can be-and just how much they'll dare-during the brutal Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II. This story of endurance and sisterhood will have you turning pages late into the night." -Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author If you loved Beantown Girls by Jane Healey and Hazel Gaynor's When We Were Young & Brave, then you won't want to miss critically acclaimed author Elise Hooper's powerful new novel of the Angels of Bataan, nurses held as prisoners during the occupation of the Philippines in World War II. Their survival would depend on sisterhood and service. Inspired by the extraordinary true stories of World War II's American Army nurses famously known as the Angels of Bataan and the unsung contributions of Filipinas of the resistance, this novel transports us to a remarkable era of hope, bravery, perseverance, and ultimately-victory. The Philippines, 1941: Tess Abbott, an American Army nurse, has fled the hardships of the Great Depression at home for the glamour and adventure of Manila, one of the most desirable postings in the world. But everything changes when the Japanese Imperial Army invades with lightning speed and devastating results. Tess and her band of nurses serve on the front lines until they are captured as prisoners of war and held behind the high stone walls of Manila's Santo Tomas Internment Camp. When the Japanese occupation of her beloved homeland commences, Flor Dalisay, a Filipina university student, will be drawn into the underground network of resistance, discovering within herself reserves of courage, resilience, and leadership she never knew she possessed. As the war continues, Tess and Flor face danger, deprivation, and terror, leading them into a web of danger as they unexpectedly work together to save lives and win their freedom.

*** A BBC2 BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK *** *** BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME *** 'A fascinating, beautiful, heartwarming novel. It kept me gripped from the very first chapter' -- BETH O'LEARY In Second World War Bath, young, naive wireless engineer Will meets Austrian refugee Elsa Klein: she is sophisticated, witty and worldly, and at last his life seems to make sense . . . until, soon after, the newly married couple's home is bombed, and Will awakes from the wreckage to find himself alone. No one has heard of Elsa Klein. They say he was never married. Seventy years later, social worker Laura is battling her way out of depression and off medication. Her new case is a strange, isolated old man whose house hasn't changed since the war. A man who insists his wife vanished many, many years before. Everyone thinks he's suffering dementia. But Laura begins to suspect otherwise . . . From Keith Stuart, author of the much-loved Richard & Judy bestseller A Boy Made of Blocks, comes a stunning, emotional novel about an impossible mystery and a true love that refuses to die. 'Enthralling, a real thing of beauty. Dazzling' -- JOSIE SILVER 'The Frequency of Us is a novel with a bit of everything: a sweeping love story, wonderfully complex characters, and a sprinkling of the supernatural. I loved it, and know it'll stay with me for some time' -- CLARE POOLEY 'A complete joy! An intelligent, intricate and emotive mystery' -- LOUISE JENSON

A mysterious 1940s' portrait leads researcher Phineas Fox to uncover a devastating wartime secret in this chilling novel of suspense. Phineas Fox finds it impossible to refuse when his sport-loving neighbour Toby begs for his help in finding out what's happened to his cousin Arabella, who seems to have disappeared without trace. The only clue to her whereabouts is an obscure 1940s' portrait left in her flat, a gift from her godfather, Stefan. The painting depicts the mysterious Christa Klein, Stefan's sister - and an alleged murderess. Was Christa Klein really guilty of a monstrous crime? What exactly happened within brooding Wewelsburg Castle back in 1941? And what does it have to do with Arabella's disappearance? As Phin delves further, he uncovers evidence of a lost piece of music and a devastating wartime secret: an atrocity whose repercussions reach to the present day.

"Irresistible... a Golden Age homage, an elegantly constructed mystery that on every page reinforces the message that everyone counts." -New York Times Book Review Recommended by New York Times Book Review * Wall Street Journal * Parade * Country Living * Chicago Tribune * South Florida Sun-Sentinel * The Free-Lance Star * St. Louis Post-Dispatch * CrimeReads * Nerd Daily * Red Carpet Crash * and many more! From the award-winning author of The Day I Died and The Lucky One, a captivating suspense novel about nurses during World War II who come to Agatha Christie's holiday estate to care for evacuated children, but when a body is discovered nearby, the idyllic setting becomes host to a deadly mystery. Bridey Kelly has come to Greenway House-the beloved holiday home of Agatha Christie-in disgrace. A terrible mistake at St. Prisca's Hospital in London has led to her dismissal as a nurse trainee, and her only chance for redemption is a position in the countryside caring for children evacuated to safety from the Blitz. Greenway is a beautiful home full of riddles: wondrous curios not to be touched, restrictions on rooms not to be entered, and a generous library, filled with books about murder. The biggest mystery might be the other nurse, Gigi, who is like no one Bridey has ever met. Chasing ten young children through the winding paths of the estate grounds might have soothed Bridey's anxieties and grief-if Greenway were not situated so near the English Channel and the rising aggressions of the war. When a body washes ashore near the estate, Bridey is horrified to realize this is not a victim of war, but of a brutal killing. As the local villagers look among themselves, Bridey and Gigi discover they each harbor dangerous secrets about what has led them to Greenway. With a mystery writer's home as their unsettling backdrop, the young women must unravel the truth before their safe haven becomes a place of death . . .

Knights of the Skull is a full-color, graphic non-fiction series chronicling the development of the German Panzer (armored) forces in World War II. Volume 2 starts with the April 1941 Balkans and Greece campaigns, then moves into the planning and early months of Operation Barbarossa-the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. With detailed, and historically accurate illustrations of vehicles, uniforms, locations, and characters, this vivid chronicle of the early years of World War II in Europe is not only an artistic look at the war, but is also a concise history of Germany's influential approach to armored warfare. Tactics developed and executed during Germany's 1939-41 campaigns changed warfare forever, and were honed throughout the remaining years of the war.

A spy navigates the labyrinthine horrors of Nazi Germany, on a mission to save the woman he loves "Charyn's blunt, brilliantly crafted prose bubbles with the pleasure of nailing life to the page in just the right words. . . . [Cesare is] provocative, stimulating and deeply satisfying." -Washington Post On a windy night in 1937, a seventeen-year-old German naval sub-cadet is wandering along the seawall when he stumbles upon a gang of ruffians beating up a tramp, whose life he saves. The man is none other than spymaster Wilhelm Canaris, chief of the Abwehr, German military intelligence. Canaris adopts the young man and dubs him "Cesare" after the character in the silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari for his ability to break through any barrier as he eliminates the Abwehr's enemies. Canaris is a man of contradictions who, while serving the regime, seeks to undermine the Nazis and helps Cesare hide Berlin's Jews from the Gestapo. But the Nazis will lure many to Theresienstadt, a phony paradise in Czechoslovakia with sham restaurants, novelty shops, and bakeries, a cruel ghetto and way station to Auschwitz. When the woman Cesare loves, a member of the Jewish underground, is captured and sent there, Cesare must find a way to rescue her. Cesare is a literary thriller and a love story born of the horrors of a country whose culture has died, whose history has been warped, and whose soul has disappeared. Jerome Charyn is the author of more than fifty works of fiction and nonfiction. Among other honors, he has received the Rosenthal Family Foundation Award for Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and his novels have been selected as finalists for the Firecracker Award and PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. Charyn lives in New York.

A PopSugar Best Book of the Year! Readers of Heather Morris's The Tattooist of Auschwitz and watchers of The Queen's Gambit won't want to miss this amazing debut set during World War II. A young Polish resistance worker, imprisoned in Auschwitz as a political prisoner, plays chess in exchange for her life, and in doing so fights to bring the man who destroyed her family to justice. Maria Florkowska is many things: daughter, avid chess player, and, as a member of the Polish underground resistance in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, a young woman brave beyond her years. Captured by the Gestapo, she is imprisoned in Auschwitz, but while her family is sent to their deaths, she is spared. Realizing her ability to play chess, the sadistic camp deputy, Karl Fritzsch, decides to use her as a chess opponent to entertain the camp guards. However, once he tires of exploiting her skills, he has every intention of killing her. Befriended by a Catholic priest, Maria attempts to overcome her grief, vows to avenge the murder of her family, and plays for her life. For four grueling years, her strategy is simple: Live. Fight. Survive. By cleverly provoking Fritzsch's volatile nature in front of his superiors, Maria intends to orchestrate his downfall. Only then will she have a chance to evade the fate awaiting her and see him punished for his wickedness. As she carries out her plan and the war nears its end, she challenges her former nemesis to one final game, certain to end in life or death, in failure or justice. If Maria can bear to face Fritzsch-and her past-one last time.

'I loved this heart-in-your-mouth story of forbidden love, courage and hope. A heart-wrenching book about family bonds facing the toughest of trials during WW2' KERRY FISHER 'A stunning tale about sisters, courage, and sacrifice that will keep you enthralled until the very last page' ANDIE NEWTON 'Really brought a lump to my throat. It has stayed with me since finishing it' SUZANNE GOLDRING 'Heart-wrenching, immersive, beautifully researched. I thoroughly recommend, together with a tissue for this emotional read!' LOUISE FEIN 'They were there for each other during the war just like the lighthouse, a source of hope and protection over the years.' 1940: For sisters Alice and Jenny life is just beginning when the Nazis seize control of the island of Jersey, driving the girls down separate paths. While Alice is forced by the enemy to work in the German hospital, Jenny is attracted to the circle of islanders rising up to resist the occupiers. And as the war tightens its grip, it will cause each of the sisters to make an extraordinary choice, experience unimaginable heartbreak and emerge forever changed... 1996: The war may have ended decades earlier, but for the elegant woman sitting alone now, the images live on in her memory: her sister's carefree laughter, the inky black of a German soldier's boots, the little boats that never came back. And the one constant through it all: the lighthouse that always guided them back to the island... A gripping, heartbreaking story of two sisters in occupied Jersey during WWII - one a nurse, who is transported to Nazi Germany, the other, who volunteers for the island's resistance movement - from the author of The Child on Platform One. Perfect for readers of The Nightingale and The Midwife of Auschwitz. ______ What real readers are saying about The Lighthouse Sisters: 'What an emotional read, I felt like I was actually living along the characters, I absolutely loved this book ' 'I was gripped. I couldn't put it down. Heart-wrenching at times and so full of hope and resilience at others. I really enjoyed it ' 'A real page-turner ' 'A wonderful read from the first page '

A gripping and thrilling novel of the courageous Black women who made history in World War Two. Inspired by true events, and perfect for fans of Kate Quinn's The Alice Network and Hidden Figures. 'Poignant and powerful; an untold story that you simply must read' NATASHA LESTER Based on the true story of the 6888th Postal Battalion (the Six Triple Eight), Sisters in Arms explores the untold story of what life was like for the only all-Black, female US battalion to be deployed overseas during World War Two. .......................................................................................... They were fighting for freedom everywhere. But the first battle they had to win was at home. Grace Steele and Eliza Jones make history when they join the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, and form the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. Not only are they among the first class of female officers the army has ever seen, they are also the first Black women allowed to serve. Everyone is determined to see this experiment fail and learning to navigate their way through the segregated army is tougher than boot camp. Grace and Eliza may be from completely different backgrounds but they both recognise that to succeed they must be more perfect than everyone else: there is no room for error. They know that what lies overseas in England and France could cause them great personal cost, but nothing is going to stop these courageous women from playing their parts for the country they love. .......................................................................................... Sisters in Arms is richly praised: 'Heartwarming but fierce, a novel brimming with camaraderie and fire, starring women you'd love to make your friends' KATE QUINN 'A beautifully written love song to the brave, oft forgotten Black women who courageously stepped up to serve their country' FARRAH ROCHON 'The story of these brave female soldiers will have you rooting for them with the turn of every page and brimming with pride. A triumph!' KWANA JACKSON 'Well written, good characters that I loved and emotions that were up and down constantly. I didn't want it to end' 5* reader review 'Outstanding . . . well written and easy to read. It threw twists and turns and kept the reader interested until the end' 5* reader review 'I really enjoyed this story and I felt that I learned a lot at the same time' reader review 'A great introduction to a slice of history I wasn't aware of - it's made me want to learn more and that can only be a good thing' reader review 'It's well worth a read and will keep you engrossed right to the end' 5* reader review

In the summer of 1940, the Battle of Britain rages in the skies over southern England. Nineteen-year-old Pilot Officer Peter Stuyckes arrives at RAF Westhill and is immediately put to the test. Based on the author's own service as an RAF Flight Engineer,Squadron Airborne takes place over one unforgettable week that summer, depicting with intensity and brilliance the work of the many ground-crew and other staff as they support the Few in their fight against the Luftwaffe. The novel is published to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in September 2020.

Early Light offers three very different aspects of Osamu Dazai's genius: the title story relates his misadventures as a drinker and a family man in the terrible fire bombings of Tokyo at the end of WWII. Having lost their own home, he and his wife flee with a new baby boy and their little girl to relatives in Kofu, only to be bombed out anew. "Everything's gone," the father explains to his daughter: "Mr. Rabbit, our shoes, the Ogigari house, the Chino house, they all burned up," "Yeah, they all burned up," she said, still smiling. "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji," another autobiographical tale, is much more comic: Dazai finds himself unable to escape the famous views, the beauty once immortalized by Hokusai and now reduced to a cliche. In the end, young girls torment him by pressing him into taking their photo before the famous peak: "Goodbye," he hisses through his teeth, "Mount Fuji. Thanks for everything. Click." And the final story is "Villon's Wife," a small masterpiece, which relates the awakening to power of a drunkard's wife. She transforms herself into a woman not to be defeated by anything, not by her husband being a thief, a megalomaniacal writer, and a wastrel. Single-handedly, she saves the day by concluding that "There's nothing wrong with being a monster, is there? As long as we can stay alive."

The war taught her to fight. The children taught her to hope... *The Lost Song of Paris, the new novel from Sarah Steele, is available to pre-order now!* Inspired by real acts of bravery and resistance, The Schoolteacher of Saint Michel is a heartrending and deeply moving story of one woman's courage and sacrifice during World War II, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Missing Piece of Nancy Moon. This exquisitely beautiful novel is perfect for readers of The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, The Postmistress, Lilac Girls and The Girl from Vichy. 'A beautifully worked tale of bravery, woven into the reality of a time we can't forget' Mandy Robotham, author of The Berlin Girl 'An emotional, beautifully constructed read. I loved the way the clues from the past and present slowly knitted together, answering the questions that had been missing their answers for so long' Sunday Times bestselling author Jill Mansell 'Gripping, at times heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting, I found this beautifully written novel impossible to put down' Sunday Times bestselling author Katie Fforde ______ 'My darling girl, I need you to find someone for me . . .' France, 1942. At the end of the day, the schoolteacher releases her pupils. She checks they have their identity passes, and warns them not to stop until the German guards have let them through the barrier that separates occupied France from Free France. As the little ones fly across the border and into their mothers' arms, she breathes a sigh of relief. No one is safe now. Not even the children. Berkshire, present day. A letter left to her by her beloved late grandmother Gigi takes Hannah Stone on a journey deep into the heart of the Dordogne landscape. As she begins to unravel a forgotten history of wartime bravery and sacrifice, she discovers the heartrending secret that binds her grandmother to a village schoolteacher, the remarkable Lucie Laval . . . ______ 'An engaging tale of courage and friendship. A triumph!' Gill Paul 'Evocative writing and the storytelling is masterful. It really draws the reader in' Felicity Hayes-McCoy 'A gripping journey about the quiet triumphs and breathtaking courage of so many women in wartime' Jane Bailey Readers ADORE The Schoolteacher of Saint Michel: 'I loved this book, I finished reading it on VE Day. It is certainly a fitting tribute to the everyday people in France who resisted the German occupation in WW2. 5 stars' 'Absolutely fabulous. Highly recommend this. I've read The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon - this is even better' 'Such a poignant story and beautiful characters. I can highly recommend this book' 'A lovely book, by turns emotional, exciting and heart-rending. The story is beautifully told. A book that will stay with me. Definitely recommended, particularly to anyone with an interest in World War II historical novels' 'A lovely story of courage and hope at a time of extreme adversity. Wonderfully written, descriptive and poignant. This one is special' 'Sheer escapism, beautifully written. I highly recommend it'

Shortlisted for the CWA/Ian Fleming Award, The Interrogator is a masterful spy story set in the darkest days of the Second World War. The Enigma Code has been broken - but what if German High Command can read our naval signals, too? For all readers of John le Carre and Robert Harris - 'Terrific... Robert Harris had better watch out' Daily Mail. Spring, 1941. The armies of the Reich are masters of Europe. Britain stands alone, dependent on her battered navy for survival, while Hitler's submarines - his 'grey wolves' - prey on the Atlantic convoys that are the country's only lifeline. Lieutenant Douglas Lindsay is amongst just a handful of men picked up when his ship is torpedoed. Unable to free himself from the memories of that night at sea, he becomes an interrogator with naval intelligence, questioning captured U-Boat crews. He is convinced the Germans have broken British naval codes, but he's a lone voice, a damaged outsider, and his superiors begin to wonder - can he really be trusted when so much is at stake? As the Blitz reduces Britain's cities to rubble and losses at sea mount, Lindsay becomes increasingly isolated and desperate. No one will believe him, not even his lover, Mary Henderson, who works at the very heart of the intelligence establishment. Lindsay decides to risk all in one last throw of the dice, setting a trap for his prize captive - and nemisis - U-Boat Commander Jurgen Mohr, the man who sent his ship to its doom.

One of the finest American novels ever written, Norman Mailer's classic account of the Philippines campaign of WW2.

Based on Mailer's own experience of military service in the Philippines during World War Two, The Naked and the Dead' is a graphically truthful and shattering portrayal of ordinary men in battle. First published in 1949, as America was still basking in the glories of the Allied victory, it altered forever the popular perception of warfare.

Focusing on the experiences of a fourteen-man platoon stationed on a Japanese-held island in the South Pacific during World War II, and written in a journalistic style, it tells the moving story of the soldiers' struggle to retain a sense of dignity amidst the horror of warfare, and to find a source of meaning in their lives amisdst the sounds and fury of battle.

About the author

'Involving, immersive and unputdownable' - Sunday Times bestselling author Jill Mansell I need to tell you a story, ma chere. My story. Rosa Kusstatscher has built a global fashion empire upon her ability to find the perfect outfit for any occasion. But tonight, as she prepares for the most important meeting of her life, her usual certainty eludes her. What brought her to this moment? As she struggles to select her dress and choose the right shade of lipstick, Rosa begins to tell her incredible story. The story of a poor country girl from a village high in the mountains of Italy. Of Nazi occupation and fleeing in the night. Of hope and heartbreak in Switzerland; glamour and love in Paris. Of ambition and devastation in Rio de Janeiro; success and self-discovery in New York. A life spent running, she sees now. But she will run no longer. Breathtaking and utterly enthralling, The Dressmaker of Paris is a stunning debut novel that is perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Kate Morton and Dinah Jefferies. 'The Dressmaker of Paris is a delicious book: elegantly structured, beautifully written and with a fascinating protagonist. Georgia Kaufmann has created a beautiful and compelling novel that had me hooked until the very last page. And that ending: wow!' - Gill Thompson, bestselling author of THE OCEANS BETWEEN US