A dazzling literary thriller set in Japan-occupied China from the most translated Chinese novelist of our time. China, 1941. At the height of the Second World War, Japan rules over China. In Hangzhou, a puppet government propped up by the Japanese wages an underground war against the Communist resistance. Late one night, five intelligence officers, employed as codebreakers by the regime, are escorted to an isolated mansion outside the city. The secret police are certain that one of them is a communist spy. None of them is leaving until the traitor is unmasked. It should be a straightforward case of sifting truth from lies. But as each codebreaker spins a story that proves their innocence, what really happened is called into question again and again. Praise for Mai Jia: 'A spy novel on a grand scale in which nothing is as it seems' The Times on The Message 'Jia's playful mix of tradecraft, puzzle-solving and human folly brings an original twist to the spy fiction canon' Sunday Times on The Message 'A page-turner with a gripping plot, otherworldy aura, and flamboyant detail' New York Times on Decoded 'A mix of spy thriller, historical saga and mathematical puzzle that coheres into a powerful whole' Financial Times on Decoded 'A literary superstar' Telegraph

'Historical fiction at its best' Tracy Rees, author of The Rose Garden A compelling novel of female perseverance and the role of women in society set in the aftermath of the American Civil War. For readers of Tracy Chevalier. In a world made for men, can one woman break free from tradition and walk a new path? It is 1865, the American Civil War has just ended, and 18-year old Vita Tenney is determined to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a country doctor like her father. But when her father tells her she must get married instead, Vita explores every means of escape - and finds one in the person of war veteran Jacob Culhane. Damaged by what he's seen in battle and with all his family gone, Jacob is seeking investors for a fledgling business. Then he meets Vita - and together they hatch a plan that should satisfy both their desires. Months later, Vita seemingly has everything she ever wanted. But alone in a big city and haunted by the mistakes of her past, she wonders if the life she always thought she wanted was too good to be true. When love starts to compete with ambition, what will come out on top? From the author of The Floating Theatre, The Physician's Daughter is the story of two people trying to make their way in a world that is struggling to escape its past. 'Vividly realised, and impeccably researched, with a determined female lead' Kayte Nunn, author of The Botanist's Daughter 'A riveting read set during the American civil war, about a pioneering young woman dead-set on becoming a doctor' Inga Vesper, author of The Long, Long Afternoon 'A compelling story' Heat Magazine 'In the proud tradition of female characters from Jo March to Meredith Grey, Vita Tenney takes her place as a determined woman unwilling to let society or her family control her destiny. I was captivated by The Physician's Daughter. The novel stays with you' Tony Phelan, executive producer of Grey's Anatomy 'Completely charming' Imogen Hermes Gowar, author of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock on The Floating Theatre

If you love Jennifer Robson or The Crown you will love New York Times bestselling author Karen Harper's novel about Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. 1939. As the wife of the King George VI and the mother of the future queen, Elizabeth-"the queen mother"-shows a warm, smiling face to the world. But it's no surprise that Hitler himself calls her the "Most Dangerous Woman in Europe." For behind that soft voice and kindly demeanor is a will of steel. Two years earlier, George was thrust onto the throne when his brother Edward abdicated, determined to marry his divorced, American mistress Mrs. Simpson. Vowing to do whatever it takes to make her husband's reign a success, Elizabeth endears herself to the British people, and prevents the former king and his brazen bride from ever again setting foot in Buckingham Palace. Elizabeth holds many powerful cards, she's also hiding damaging secrets about her past and her provenance that could prove to be her undoing. In this riveting novel of royal secrets and intrigue, Karen Harper lifts the veil on one of the world's most fascinating families, and how its "secret weapon" of a matriarch maneuvered her way through one of the most dangerous chapters of the century.

A new and terrifying enemy rears its head at last...With the end of the Second World War in sight, the Allies begin to divide up the spoils and it proves to be a dangerous game. The British have become aware that, contrary to prior agreements, the Soviet Union is intent on controlling Austria once the war ends. Major Edgar is tasked with the job of establishing an espionage unit in Vienna to monitor the situation. He sends in two agents - Rolf Eder and Katharina Hoch - to track down Austria's most respected politician and bring him over to the British cause. But the feared Soviet spy Viktor Krasotkin is already in the war-torn city, embarking on exactly the same mission. A taut, tense masterclass in espionage fiction, perfect for fans of John le Carre, Len Deighton and Jack Higgins.

Profusely illustrated throughout in full color. Covers Marine Air Group 31 equipped with the VMFA-115 Hornet and based at 'Fightertown East', Beaufort, South Carolina.

Combat, love and sacrifice from the twilight of the war in this classic thriller of WW2 adventure. The occupied Channel Islands: the last outpost of German resistance at the end of a long and savage conflict. Most feared among them: St Pierre. The mid-Atlantic fortress chosen by a crazed SS Commandant for his suicidal stand. With Berlin on the verge of capture, it is the most sensitive mission of the war. An end game that calls for a hero - with something else besides. A game for a battle-hardened veteran ready to lay down his life for his birthplace. And for the woman he left behind...

'Historical fiction of a high order' The Times Barely half of the Bomber Command's aircrews survive a full tour, but wireless operator Billy Angell has beaten the odds and completed his 30th - and final - mission. Now, Billy is due two-weeks leave, a posting to a training squadron and a six-month exemption from active duty. Except that MI5 need an airman to drop into Nazi-occupied France. MI5 are interested in Helene Lafosse, a Frenchwoman keeping unusual company in her small family chateau in the depths of the Touraine. Helene has begun an affair with a senior Abwehr intelligence officer, who, in return, has turned a blind eye to the succession of Jews, refugees, resistance fighters and downed Allied airmen to whom she offers shelter. MI5 believe they can exploit this relationship and plant a false lead about the anticipated allied invasion of northern France. It falls to Billy, playing a downed airman, to find Helene, to win her confidence and to plant a lie that will only make sense to her German lover. But this time, Billy isn't flying at 20,000 feet and he won't be able to escape the incendiary consequences of his actions. Aurore is part of the SPOILS OF WAR Collection, a thrilling, beguiling blend of fact and fiction born of some of the most tragic, suspenseful, and action-packed events of World War II. From the mind of highly acclaimed thriller author GRAHAM HURLEY, this blockbuster non-chronological collection allows the reader to explore Hurley's masterful storytelling in any order, with compelling recurring characters whose fragmented lives mirror the war that shattered the globe. 'Hurley's capable and understated characterization makes his lead's story plausible and engaging' Publishers Weekly

EXPERIENCE THE EPIC BLOOD FEUDS OF ANCIENT GREECE WITH MASTER STORYTELLER CONN IGGULDEN 'Vivid, atmospheric, gritty . . . you'll believe you're on the battlefield fighting for your life' 5***** Reader Review 'An epic piece of historical fiction, full of political intrigue and vivid action' Robert Fabbri 'Iggulden doesn't just describe the ancient world, he takes you there' 5***** Reader Review TWO LEGENDARY BATTLES. ONE FEARLESS WARRIOR . . . ________ Themistocles stands as the battle-scarred leader of Athens. Yet he is no nobleman. The elite distrust him. But those conspiring against him cannot argue with his victories on the battlefield. Or the vast Persian army that is coming . . . And so Themistocles must fight. Fight the invaders. Fight the allies who despise him. Fight to save his city. As the Persians draw close, he must prove himself again and again in battle. TO LIVE OR DIE FOR ATHENS. ________ 'Brings war in the ancient world to vivid, gritty and bloody life. I'm blown away. Protector stand alongside the best of Mary Renault - an epic with the learning of the classics' ANTHONY RICHES Readers are raving about PROTECTOR: 'Iggulden's achievement is to tell the story of the conflict on a human scale without losing sight of the huge historical and cultural forces at play. Educational and entertaining, Protector is a compelling read' 5***** Reader Review '[Iggulden] has outdone himself on the tension and suspense he has created with these characters and this story' 5***** Reader Review 'As soon as you see the name "Conn Iggulden", you know you're in for a treat. Always. I can't tell you how much I enjoy Conn Iggulden's writing' 5***** Reader Review

1794: Stuck in Palermo harbour, headstrong Lieutenant John Pearce and his trusty Pelicans must repair the battle-damaged HMS Larcher with only meagre funds. Once again, he finds himself protecting Emily Barclay, abandoned by the captain of her merchantman after he discovers her true identity. When Pearce sets sail for Naples, he discovers disloyalty among his crew, who are suspicious of Emily's presence and the troubles that seem to be coming their way. Sailing into danger, they encounter enemies armed with more speed and greater firepower. Lacking proper masts and a bowsprit, Pearce has no option but to run until forced to abandon and burn his ship trapped in an Italian bay. Pearce must face a court-martial for his actions. However, his troubles are only beginning. Admiral Hotham, now in command, seeks to neutralise Pearce, who poses a threat to him. Hotham contrives a deadly plan to send the unwitting Pelicans into mortal danger against a bloodthirsty and piratical Turk called Mehmet Pasha. Only luck and Pearce's fiery thirst for battle can save them.

1794: The Mediterranean is proving dangerous waters for John Pearce and his Pelicans. Having left his lover, Emily, the wife of his mortal enemy Ralph Barclay, in the Tuscan port of Leghorn, Pearce is detained in Naples. When he unknowingly delivers a letter promoting the shady and incompetent Admiral Hotham, Pearce finds himself entangled in a political plot that soon puts those closest to him at peril. When reunited with Emily, John Pearce faces a losing battle to maintain her reputation. Emily sees no future for herself with Pearce and leaves while he is conveying private letters for Horatio Nelson to the British Ambassador, Sir William Hamilton. Learning of her departure, Pearce sets off in pursuit. At the same time, he takes on a superior Barbary corsairs force that has targeted the merchant ship on which Emily is traveling, the Sandown Castle. Outgunned by a barbaric opponent, John Pearce's chances of survival-and those of Emily and Pearce's crew-are dubious. And even if they can win this fierce battle, another threat looms on the horizon, as Pearce is not the only one chasing Emily. Ralph Barclay has learned of his wife's desertion and is on his way to recapture her.

The superpowers hurtle towards global conflict, in this chillingly authentic vision of modern warfare from the world's #1 thriller writer.

The Muslim terrorists who destroyed the Soviet Union's largest petro-chemical plant thought they were striking a blow for freedom. What they had done, unknowingly, was fire the first shots in World War III.

Desperately short of oil, the Kremlin hawks see only one way of solving their problem: seize supplies in the Persian Gulf. To do that, they must first neutralize NATO's forces and eliminate their response – and so they develop Red Storm, a dazzling master plan of diplomatic subterfuge and intense re-armament.

The battle lines are drawn and Armageddon beckons…

"Packed with more nerve-shattering tension than anything in print today…gripping, audacious, brilliant storytelling at its very best."
WASHINGTON TIMES

"Frighteningly realistic…I dare you to read one chapter and put it down."
NEW YORK NEWSDAY

"Graphic, exciting…horribly convincing."
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

In the summer of 1779, as the major fighting of the Revolutionary War moves to the South, a British force consisting of fewer than a thousand Scottish infantry and backed by three sloops-of-war sails to the fogbound coast of New England. Establishing a garrison and naval base at Penobscot Bay, in the eastern province of Massachusetts, the Scots harry rebel privateers and shelter American loyalists. In response, the Americans send more than forty vessels and some one thousand infantrymen to "captivate, kill, or destroy" the foreign invaders. But ineptitude and irresolution lead to a mortifying defeat that will have stunning repercussions for two men on opposite sides of the conflict: an untested young Scottish lieutenant named John Moore, at the beginning of an illustrious military career . . . and a Boston silversmith and patriot named Paul Revere, who will face court-martial for disobedience and cowardice.

Leningrad 1941: the white nights of summer illuminate a city of fallen grandeur whose beautiful palaces and stately avenues speak of a different age, when Leningrad was known as St. Petersburg.

Two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha, share the same bed, living in one room with their brother and parents. It is a hard, impoverished life, yet the Metanovs know many who are not as fortunate as they.

The family routine is shattered on 22 June 1941 when Hitler invades Russia. For the Metanovs, for Leningrad and for Tatiana, life will never be the same again. On that fateful day, Tatiana meets a brash young officer named Alexander.

Tatiana and her family suffer as Hitler's army advances on Leningrad, and the Russian winter closes in. With bombs falling and the city under siege, Tatiana and Alexander are drawn to each other in an impossible love. It is a love that could tear Tatiana's family apart, a love that carries a secret that could mean death for anyone who hears it.

Confronted on one hand by Hitler's unstoppable war machine, and on the other by a Soviet system determined to crush the human spirit, Tatiana and Alexander are pitted against the very tide of history, at a turning point in the century that made the modern world.

A seminal novel of factory life in wartime England. Praised for its detailed portrayal of the roles of women in wartime society, Monica Felton's 1945 novel gives a lively account of the experiences of a group of men and women working in a munitions factory during World War II. Detailing the challenges, triumphs, and tragedies of a diverse cast of characters, To All the Living provides fascinating insight into this vital aspect of Britain's home front.

The fourth volume of Bernard Cornwell's bestselling series on the American Civil War and featuring rebel Nathaniel Starbuck - a yankee fighting for the Southern cause. It is late summer 1862 and the Confederacy is invading the United States of America. Nate Starbuck, a northern preacher's son fighting for the rebel South, is given command of a punishment battalion - a despised unit of shirkers and cowards. His enemies expect it to be his downfall, as Starbuck must lead this ramshackle unit into a battle that will prove to be the bloodiest of the Civil War.

'One of the most reliable thriller writers in the world' Daily Mail To do what is right, she risks losing everything... 1937 Sibil Hellinger is enjoying market day in the small Spanish town of Guernica when clouds of German planes suddenly fill the sky. As the bombs rain down, Sibil escapes with her sister but her mother is tragically killed. 1944 The world is at war and Sibil has grown into a beautiful young woman fuelled by a dark rage. Working with her father, a scientist and member of the undercover German resistance, she is the perfect spy to fight back against those responsible for her mother's death - the Nazis. To avenge the family she lost and protect those she loves, she must risk everything. From the bestselling author of The Black Swan of Paris, Fire in the Sky comes an absorbing novel of bravery, danger, love and women's unbelievable reserves of strength. PRAISE FOR THE BLACK SWAN OF PARIS 'A truly outstanding novel, brilliantly written, that captured me and held me in its grip from page one. The Black Swan of Paris reminds us of the power of love, hope and courage' Heather Morris, #1 bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz 'Emotional and powerful' Pam Jenoff, bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris 'Beautifully written and completely absorbing. ' Noelle Salazar, bestselling author of The Flight Girls 'An extraordinarily suspenseful, emotional read' Kelly Rimmer, bestselling author of The Things We Cannot Say

Hordes of zombies threaten to wipe out all of mankind in this first action-horror novel set in the exciting (yet horrifying) world of the Zombicide games. The zombie apocalypse has driven humanity up into the Adirondacks. Enter Westlake, hardened career criminal on the path of "the Villa", a legendary mafia hideout where he can escape the devastation. When he's ambushed by the undead, an old FBI "friend" and his squad of survivors rescue him... and then force him to reveal his secrets. The jokey myth of the Villa suddenly becomes salvation for the settlements scattered around Saranc Lake. Reluctantly, Westlake is saddled with an oddball team to navigate mine fields, trip wires, and flesh-eating zombies at every turn to find their safe haven. Shame there's already someone living there...

The bestselling author of The Falcon of Sparta returns to the Ancient World with an epic exploration of power 490 B.C. Two great empires are about to go to war . . . The momentous struggle between Athens and Sparta as rival powers and political systems will last for twenty-seven years (431 to 404 BC). It will end in the fall of a dynasty. Filled with cunning political scheming, astonishing military prowess, invasions, treacheries, plagues, ambitions, virtues, and emotions and a lot of intrigue, Conn Iggulden brings to life one of the most thrilling chapters of the ancient world. PRAISE FOR CONN IGGULDEN 'The pace is nail-biting and the set-dressing magnificent' Times 'Pacy . . . and packed with action' Sunday Times 'One of our finest historical novelists' Daily Express 'Iggulden is in a class of his own when it comes to epic, historical fiction' Daily Mirror

As the 1950s draw to a close, and the Cold War escalates, the shape of Drummond Moore's life is changed beyond measure when he strikes up an unlikely friendship with James Carter, a rich and well-connected fellow national serviceman. Carter leads him to Doom Town – an army base that seeks to recreate the effects of a nuclear war – where he meets Gwen, a barmaid with whom he shares an instant connection.

Set over sixty years of British history, The Blind Light by Stuart Evers is the compelling story of one family as they deal with the personal and political fallout of their times.

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

For the first time ever, a beautiful slipcased edition of the forerunner to The Lord of the Rings, illustrated throughout in colour by J.R.R. Tolkien himself, with the complete text printed in two colours and with many bonus features unique to this edition. The Silmarilli were three perfect jewels, fashioned by Feanor, most gifted of the Elves, and within them was imprisoned the last Light of the Two Trees of Valinor. But the first Dark Lord, Morgoth, stole the jewels and set them within his iron crown, guarded in the impenetrable fortress of Angband in the north of Middle-earth. The Silmarillion is the history of the rebellion of Feanor and his kindred against the gods, their exile from Valinor and return to Middle-earth, and their war, hopeless despite all the heroism, against the great Enemy. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as Elrond and Galadriel took part. The book also includes several shorter works: the Ainulindale, a myth of the Creation, and the Valaquenta, in which the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabeth recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Numenor at the end of the Second Age, and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age, as narrated in The Lord of the Rings. This deluxe slipcased edition contains the complete text, which is printed in two colours and features, for the very first time, more than 50 colour paintings, illustrations and designs drawn by J.R.R. Tolkien himself as he composed this epic work. Unique to this edition are two poster-size, fold-out maps revealing all the detail of Beleriand as the tales grew, an illustrated booklet featuring 'A Brief Account of The Silmarillion and its Making' by Christopher Tolkien, and a printed art card reproducing 'Taniquetil'. It is additionally quarterbound in blue leather, with raised ribs on the spine, stamped in three foils on black cloth boards, and housed in a custom-built clothbound slipcase. The pages are edged in silver and include a ribbon marker.

Only two obstacles stand between Napoleon's mighty army and its seemingly certain conquest of Portugal: a land wasted and stripped of food at Wellington's orders . . . and Captain Richard Sharpe. But perils from within and without threaten the bold captain of the Light Company -- the hatred and incompetence of a superior officer, the vicious treachery of a false ally . . . and the overwhelming numbers of a fierce, determined enemy, combining to make Sharpe's escape a near impossibility.

At the heart of Joseph Heller's bestselling novel, first published in 1961, is a satirical indictment of military madness and stupidity, and the desire of the ordinary man to survive it. It is the tale of the dangerously sane Captain Yossarian, who spends his time in Italy plotting to survive.