It all happened so quickly. First, animals became infected with the virus and their meat became poisonous. Then governments initiated the Transition. Now, 'special meat' - human meat - is legal. Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans - only no one calls them that. He works with numbers, consignments, processing. One day, he's given a gift to seal a deal: a specimen of the finest quality. He leaves her in his barn, tied up, a problem to be disposed of later. But she haunts Marcos. Her trembling body, and watchful gaze, seem to understand. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost - and what might still be saved.

In these tense, macabre stories, bodies fall from the sky, perfect nails conceal grisly secrets and violence pulses behind gleaming façades. From hellish visions to obsessive relationships, acclaimed author Agustina Bazterrica takes us to the dark heart of human desires and fears. Shocking, brutal, yet glinting with sharp humour, Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird is a breathtaking dive into human monstrousness from a master of contemporary horror.

In these tense, macabre stories, bodies fall from the sky, perfect nails conceal grisly secrets and violence pulses behind gleaming façades. From hellish visions to obsessive relationships, acclaimed author Agustina Bazterrica takes us to the dark heart of human desires and fears. Shocking, brutal, yet glinting with sharp humour, Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird is a breathtaking dive into human monstrousness from a master of contemporary horror.

'Part thriller, part telenovela, a well-wrought tango noir' The Times 'Vivid and unforgiving' Guardian 'A breathless procedural' ____________ A devastating train crash in the suburbs of Buenos Aires leaves forty-three people dead, but not Hugo Lamadrid, a criminal wanted for murder. He seizes his change to disappear, abandoning his possessions - and, he hopes, his identity - among bodies mangled beyond all recognition. As the police descend of the scene, only grizzled Detective Domínguez sees a link between the crash and his murder case. Soon, he's on Hugo's tail. But he hasn't banked on everything from the media to Hugo's mother-in-law getting in his way. This crackling, pacy noir shines a light on urgent social issues - if you loved The Khan by Saima Mir or Lightseekers by Femi Kayode then you'll love Urgent Matters! ____________ READERS LOVE URGENT MATTERS! 'If this novel by Paula Rodriguez is anything to go by Argentinian noir may be the next big thing' 'It is a perfect slice of Argentine Noir with a current of dark humour running through it and I would highly recommend picking this up if you are looking for a sharp, energetic and compelling read' 'The stand out element of the story was the fabulous character development. All the key players feel like they are pushing their way out of the book into my world' FURTHER PRAISE FOR URGENT MATTERS 'Written in the taut, clean style of the classic pulp noir' Irish Times 'Evokes the teeming metropolis of Buenos Aires in a vibrant fashion' Crime Time 'Frenetic pace and a hypnotic, disturbing plot... An essential read' Agustina Bazterrica, author of Tender is the Flesh

Man Booker International Prize 2018 (Longlisted) In a forgotten patch of French countryside, a woman is battling her demons: embracing exclusion yet wanting to belong, craving freedom whilst feeling trapped, yearning for family life but wanting to burn the entire house down. Given surprising leeway by her family for her increasingly erratic behaviour, she nevertheless feels ever more stifled and repressed. Motherhood, womanhood, the banality of love, the terrors of desire, the brutality of 'another person carrying your heart forever': Die, My Love faces all this with a raw intensity. It's not a question of if a breaking point will be reached, but rather when, and how violent a form will it take? It's impossible to come out unscathed from reading Ariana Harwicz. The language of Die, My Love cuts like a scalpel even as it attains a kind of cinematic splendour, evoking the likes of John Cassavetes, David Lynch and John Ford. In a text that explores the destabilising effects of passion and its absence, immersed in the psyche of a female protagonist always on the verge of madness (in the tradition of Sylvia Plath and Clarice Lispector), Harwicz moulds language, submitting it to her will in irreverent prose. Bruising and confrontational, yet anchored in an unapologetic beauty and lyricism, Die, My Love is a unique reading experience that quickly becomes addictive.

The Yankees are more astute when it comes to matters like these. They say "not guilty". They don't say "innocent". Because as far as innocence goes, no one can make that claim. A train crashes in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, leaving forty-three people dead. A prayer card of Saint Expeditus, the patron saint of urgent matters, flutters above the wreckage. Hugo, a criminal on the run for murder, is on the train. He seizes his chance to sneak out of the wreckage unsuspected, abandoning his possessions - and, he hopes, his identity - among bodies mangled beyond recognition. As the police descend on the scene, only grizzled Detective Dominguez sees a link between the crash and his murder case. Soon, he's on Hugo's tail. But he hasn't banked on everything from the media to his mother-in-law getting in the way.