EB Recommends Fiction - February

'Astonishing. Compelling. Powerful' - Delia Owens, bestselling author of Where the Crawdads Sing‘Stuns with sacrifice. Uplifts with heroism’ - Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in ChemistryFrom the worldwide bestselling author of The Four Winds, The Nightingale and Firefly Lane (a Number One series on Netflix), The Women is a story of devastating loss and epic love. It would be the journey of a lifetime . . .‘Women can be heroes, too’. When twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances “Frankie” McGrath, hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on California’s idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path.As green and inexperienced as the young men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America. Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.Praise for Kristin Hannah:‘Powerful and compelling’ - Christy Lefteri, bestselling author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo‘You would be hard-pressed to find a book club that has not discussed one of her novels’ New York Times‘A rich, compelling novel of love, sacrifice and survival’ – Kate Morton‘A masterclass’ – Karen Swan‘Powerful’ – Matt Haig

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The stunning debut from a major new talent. A luxury train speeding towards Moscow and a date with destiny. A CIA plane downed in the jungles of the Golden Triangle. A Nazi hoard entombed in the remote mountains of South-West Poland. A missing treasure, the eighth wonder of the world, lost for seven decades.A luxury train speeding towards Moscow and a date with destiny.A CIA plane downed in the jungles of the Golden Triangle.A Nazi hoard entombed in the remote mountains of South-West Poland.A missing treasure, the eighth wonder of the world, lost for seven decades.One Russian magnate's dream of restoring a nation to greatness has set in motion a chain of events which will take the world to the brink of chaos. Only Frances Coffey, the CIA's most legendary spymaster, can prevent it. But to do so, she needs someone special. Enter Argylle, a troubled agent with a tarnished past who may just have the skills to take on one of the most powerful men in the world. If only he can save himself first...

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Totally original and utterly compelling, with a voice all of its own, this is the outstanding new thriller from the no.1 internationally bestselling author of The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides. ‘My favourite Alex Michaelides yet – the undisputed master of the twist’ Lucy Foley‘The king of all unreliable narrators, enough twists and turns to power two novels’ David Baldacci‘You'll think you know where it's going and you couldn't be more wrong’ Linwood Barclay‘A very special book and highly recommended’ Janice Hallett‘A masterclass in suspense’ Steve Cavanagh‘A glorious triumph - just brilliant’ Stephen Fry‘The best novel yet from Alex Michaelides’ Sophie HannahEven better than The Silent Patient… Alex Michaelides is a magician’ JP Delaney ***** 'There were seven of us in all, trapped on the island.One of us was a murderer . . .'On a small private Greek island, former movie star Lana Farrar - an old friend - invites a select group of us to stay.It'll be hot, sunny, perfect. A chance to relax and reconnect - and maybe for a few hidden truths to come out.Because nothing on this island is quite what it seems.Not Lana. Not her guests.Certainly not the murderer - furiously plotting their crime . . .But who am I?My name is Elliot Chase, and I'm going to tell you a story unlike any you've ever heard. BESTSELLING AUTHORS ARE ALREADY FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE FURY‘The Fury is a masterfully woven story of Shakespearean twists and Machiavellian turns. A Greek Tragedy in the guise of a postmodern thriller. Do not miss this one’ Holly Jackson‘A classic, twisting, brilliant murder mystery. A wonderfully drawn cast of characters with a motive to kill for, in a location to die for, keep you guessing until the shocking finale. Clever, and fiendishly fun’ Chris Whitaker‘A very sophisticated book which takes the format of a classic murder mystery and elevates it to something very devious and clever indeed. The narrator is fabulous - I was throughly gripped’ Harriet Tyce‘Endlessly evolving, wildly entertaining, and like the very best fiction, impossible to pin down. Just when you think you have it cornered, it moves, impossibly and with stunning flourish, toward a devastating finale. The Talented Mr. Ripley for our time’ Blake Crouch‘Alex Michaelides is the grand master of the modern mystery. The Fury reads like Hitchcock with a heart, or Agatha Christie running amok on a wind-whipped Greek island. The Fury will, quite literally, blow you away. Totally brilliant’ Tony Parsons‘One of those rare books where really nothing is as it seems. As usual, Alex Michaelides does not disappoint’ Ragnar Jonasson‘Glamorous, sinister, and endlessly surprising, The Fury reads like Agatha Christie and Patricia Highsmith took a Greek vacation together and decided to write a book while there. It's twisty, twisted entertainment’ Riley Sager

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To mark the thousandth year of peace in the Empire of Concordia, the emperor's ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage. Aboard are the heirs of the twelve provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique magical ability known as a Blessing.Except one: Ganymedes Piscero.When a beloved heir is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Stuck at sea and surrounded by powerful people, odds of survival are slim. But as the bodies pile higher, Ganymedes must become the hero he was not born to be and unmask the killer before he ends up the next victim of their bloody crusade.

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‘Alix E. Harrow is an exceptional, undeniable talent’ - Olivie BlakeStep into Starling House – if you dare . . .Nobody in Eden remembers when Starling House was built. But the town agrees it’s best to let this ill-omened mansion – and its last lonely heir – go to hell. Stories of the house’s bad luck, like good china, have been passed down the generations.Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses, or brooding men. But when an opportunity to work there arises, the money might get her brother out of Eden. Starling House is uncanny and full of secrets – just like Arthur, its heir. It also feels strangely, dangerously, like something she’s never had: a home. Yet Opal isn’t the only one interested in the horrors and the wonders that lie buried beneath it.Sinister forces converge on Eden – and Opal realizes that if she wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it. Even if it involves digging up her family’s ugly past to achieve a better future. She’ll have to go down, deep down beneath Starling House, to claw her way back to the light . . .This is a sweeping gothic fairytale from Hugo, Nebula and Locus Award-shortlisted Alix E. Harrow.

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Natasha is the owner of a successful beauty company and is in a long-term relationship with the charming Sizwe. However, she has no interest in marriage or in becoming a traditional makoti. She has it all figured out. Until a fateful encounter with a handsome stranger . . . When Natasha makes an impulsive decision, she has to navigate the unfamiliar complexities of love, life and desire. She turns to the ‘Darlings’ WhatsApp group for advice; these women are her lifeline. There’s Sofia who seems to have it all, while the cousins, Farhana and Razia, both find themselves in complicated marriages. But whatever life throws their way, these darlings always have one another’s backs.   

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*Soon to be a hit Netflix series starring Michelle Keegan, Adeel Akhtar, Joanna Lumley and Richard Armitage*'The absolute master' RICHARD OSMAN'One of the all-time greats' GILLIAN FLYNN'At the top of his game' PETER JAMES'Never lets you down' LEE CHILDYou think you know the truth. The truth is you know nothing.If your husband was murdered.And you were a witness.How do you explain it when he appears on your nanny cam, back from the dead?You thought you trusted him.Now you can't even trust yourself.Dark secrets and a terrifying hunt for the truth lie at the heart of this gripping thriller by the 'master of the double twist' Harlan Coben . . .Readers love Fool Me Once . . .***** 'This book was such a spine tingling page turner!'***** 'The story was fast-paced and very captivating. I couldn't wait to see how everything would turn out.'***** 'Any reader who enjoys a cleverly plotted book filled with twists and turns will enjoy this one.'***** 'An excellent thriller, packed with taut, edgy suspense, and is certainly entertaining.'***** 'What a story. What a plot.'

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HER HUSBAND BETRAYED HER COUNTRY. ONLY SHE CAN SAVE IT. -----The spellbinding new book from the USA Today bestselling author of The Schoolteacher of Saint Michel, perfect for fans of The Nightingale and The Paris Library Inspired by the stories of the heroines of the Italian Resistance, this is a heart-wrenching dual-timeframe story which is a portrait of war and a powerful exploration of how far we will go to protect our families, set between World War II Naples and the glamorous Golden Age of Hollywood.-----'Do it,' she said to the German, her voice a rasping whisper. 'Shoot me if you dare. I am Maddalena.'Naples 1943Luisa Giordano has faced many losses: her mother to a deadly illness, the man she loved to the Nazis when war came to Italy, and her unborn child at the hands of her own husband. All Luisa has left is her voice, and when she learns her husband is colluding with the enemy, she knows she must use it to fuel the women of Naples with fire.Los Angeles 1962Hollywood starlet Lola Hart has come a long way from the backstreets of Naples, the glamorous parties a way to dull the pain of the past. When she is offered the role of a lifetime portraying a heroine of the Italian resistance, she knows returning home means confronting old ghosts. But as she seeks out the story behind the film, she realises there are many in Naples with secrets, and that the woman she is to play held the greatest one of all...-----READERS LOVE SARAH STEELE:'A must-read in historical fiction' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I loved this book - a perfect summer read' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I just loved it!' KATIE FFORDE'I can taste the gelato and the sweetness of La Dolce Vita in Italy of the 1960s, coupled with the bitterness of wartime intrigue and betrayal. A perfect combination' MANDY ROBOTHAM'A gripping and atmospheric read' TESSA HARRIS

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From internationally bestselling author John Boyne comes a masterfully reflective story about one woman coming to terms with the demons of her past and finding a new path forward.The first thing Vanessa Carvin does when she arrives on the island is change her name. To the locals, she is Willow Hale, a solitary outsider escaping Dublin to live a hermetic existence in a small cottage, not a notorious woman on the run from her past.But scandals follow like hunting dogs. And she has some questions of her own to answer. If her ex-husband is really the monster everyone says he is, then how complicit was she in his crimes?Escaping her old life might seem like a good idea but the choices she has made throughout her marriage have consequences. Here, on the island, Vanessa must reflect on what she did - and did not do. Only then can she discover whether she is worthy of finding peace at all.Praise for John Boyne'A master storyteller' Daily Express'One of the best novelists of Ireland' Sunday Express'Boyne offers writing of insight and beauty' Observer'One of the greatest craftsmen in contemporary literature' Colum McCann

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In the slums of 19th-century New York, a tattooed mystic fights for her life. Her survival hangs on the turn of a tarot card. Powerful, intoxicating and full of suspense. The Knowing is a darkly spellbinding novel about a girl fighting for her survival in the decaying criminal underworlds. It is a hard-hitting story of love, obsession and betrayal. Whilst working as a living canvas for an abusive tattoo artist in the slums of 19th-century New York, Flora meets Minnie, an enigmatic circus performer who offers her love and refuge in an opulent townhouse that is home to the menacing and predatory Mr Chester Merton. Flora earns her keep reading tarot cards for his guests whilst struggling to harness her gift, the Knowing - an ability to summon the dead. Caught in a dark love triangle between Minnie and Chester, Flora begins to unravel the secrets inside their house. Then at her first public séance, Flora hears the spirit of a murdered boy prostitute and exposes his killer, setting off a train of events that leaves her fighting for her life. The Knowing is a stunning debut inspired by real historical characters including Maud Wagner, one of the first known female tattoo artists, New York gang the Dead Rabbits, and characters from PT Barnum's circus in the 1800s. Something Powerful Is Coming.

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THE WORLD WILL KNOW HER NAME ‘Certain to be one of the year's best thrillers’ LEE CHILD *The instant global phenomenon**Publishing in over 30 territories**The thriller that will wake up the nation* Anna Ogilvy hasn’t opened her eyes for four years Not since that night at The Farm when she was found asleep with a kitchen knife in her hand, her clothes bloodstained, the bodies of her two best friends lying close. She’d committed the crime of the century – but nothing and no-one could wake her from the nightmare. Believers in her innocence call her Anna O. Believers in her guilt call her Sleeping Beauty. But no-one can take their eyes off the story . . . AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE 2024 – PRE-ORDER NOW ‘Anna O reads like a dream but unsettles like a nightmare’ A J FINN‘A wickedly stunning work’ DAVID BALDACCI‘Will keep you turning pages well past your bedtime’ NITA PROSE‘Extremely entertaining and terribly twisty’ CECELIA AHERN

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Cape Town, 1924: Mathew Travis, a discontented boat repairman caught up in a dull and aimless existence, sets out on a quest to realise his boyhood dream of exploring the Amazon. Along with a brazen American bent on fulfilling his long-dead father’s ambition, and an obsessive German historian searching for an emerald mine, he ventures deep into the vast Brazilian rainforest. Day and night of hardship erodes Travis’ romantic sentiments about the Amazon and exposes his shortcomings as an explorer. But this pales before the events that befall him when he crosses the frontiers of the known world into the territory of bloodthirsty cannibals. In the savage heart of an uncharted wilderness, his fight for survival takes on epic proportions and leads him to a discovery, as he puts it, ‘unimagined by man’.

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In this latest enchanting novel from bestselling magical realism author Jennifer Moorman, a treasure hunt through the past reveals one woman’s extraordinary gift for arranging the future.The Russell women have always lived in a house that is as special as they are—a century-old Victorian with a radio that tunes itself to the listener’s mood and a pantry that rearranges to provide just the right ingredients for any baking need. Lilith Russell was the exception. She left the family home in Ivy Ridge, Georgia, and has been flitting like a hummingbird from place to place with her daughter, Mattie, in the decades since, only returning each summer to drop Mattie off with Lilith’s sister, Penelope.When Lilith dies suddenly, Mattie is left without her sole companion and the captain who steered her ship. That is, until she visits Ivy Ridge and learns Lilith charted one last course for Mattie: a series of tasks that she must complete to earn her inheritance, with Penelope overseeing the process.Both Mattie and Penelope are outraged by Lilith’s seemingly random stipulations: throw a Halloween party, take a local pizza cooking class, share secrets with someone . . . But Mattie soon realizes that if she completes the tasks, she may unearth her mother’s secrets, including the identity of Mattie’s father. She may also discover more about the Russell family “gifts” and why Lilith chose Penelope’s former love to be the executor of the will. She may even learn how and why Jonathan Carlisle, the boy who stole her heart ten summers ago, also happens to be back in town.Mattie can only hope that Lilith’s final map will finally point her home. 

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Storyteller-in-chief, Nthikeng Mohlele, spins another glorious tale: a former high-flying politician who now sleeps under a bridge in Johannesburg’s city centre and washes dishes to survive. As his mind wanders in this self-imposed exile, he contemplates his political party, the false promises, the jaded ideology and hypocrisy that runs rampant, and the deception and treachery underpinning it. As his reveries take him through past relationships and a marriage which ended in adultery, his disillusionment, his fractured mind and unravelling personal life which led to this strange spiritual retreat is revealed. Molehle is a master at probing the depths of human consciousness and in Revolutionaries’ House he asks: how do we hold a unified moral self?

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