Showing titles in Contemporary Fiction

She is noticed by Elliot as he trains in in the gym. He sees her dedication to building her body and taking up space, and he is drawn to her strength. She is observed by her mother, as she grows from a taciturn, tremulous child into a determined and distant woman, who severs all familial ties. She is watched by her former colleague Susie, who offers her sanctuary and support as she leaves her partner and rebuilds her life, transforming her body and reinventing herself online. Each of these three witnesses desires closeness.

Set in the extreme landscape of Alaska, The Quality of Silence follows the story of Yasmin and her deaf daughter, Ruby. Yasmin arrives in Alaska to be told her husband, Matt, is dead, the victim of a catastrophic accident. Yasmin, unable to accept this as truth, sets out into the frozen winter landscape, taking Ruby with her, in search of answers. But as a storm closes in, Yasmin realises that a very human danger may be keeping pace with them.

Sun, sea and secrets... A week on the sunny Greek island of Kethos is just what Alice Archer needs, even if she has to put up with her difficult sister. Stella's tantrums and divalike demands are a fair price to pay for crystal-clear waters, blue skies and white clifftop villas. When Alice meets Milo, a handsome gardener at the Villa Argenti, for the first time she suddenly feels beautiful, alluring and confident. But is it just holiday magic, or will the irresistible pull between Alice and Milo survive against all odds?

Bath, 1821: Rachel Crofton escapes her unhappy employment as a governess by marrying a self-made businessman. But her new life soon takes an unexpected turn. Reclusive Jonathan Alleyn is a man tormented by the disappearance of his childhood sweetheart, Alice. Starling, foundling child and now servant, is convinced that Alice, the woman she loved as a sister, was stolen from her. Did Alice run away? Or did something altogether more sinister occur? As Starling tries to expose the lies behind Bath's immaculate facades, others want only to forget, and will go to extreme lengths to do so.

Clio is staying with her aunt, Hester, at Bridge House on the edge of Exmoor. A beautiful house, it is the scene of many happy childhood memories. But Clio has no idea that it was the setting for a terrible incident after the Second World War.

Who is about to disturb the peace in Prior's Ford? Actress Meredith Whitelaw, axed from a popular television soap, has descended upon Prior's Ford to 'rest' - but instead she creates havoc for the local dramatic society. Clarissa Ramsay, travelling the world, keeps in contact with her friend Alastair Marshall, who finds himself missing her more with each letter that arrives.

"Es macht mir nichts aus, über Sex zu reden. Es ist der Mangel an Sex, über den ich nicht sprechen kann.". Diana ist Ehefrau und Mutter. Diana ist noch viel mehr. Künstlerin, Geliebte, Freundin. Doch all das fühlt sich sehr weit weg an. Ihren Mann Oliver liebt sie, genauso wie das Leben, das sie sich zusammen aufgebaut haben. Doch etwas ist zwischen ihnen verloren gegangen: Intimität, Sinnlichkeit, Begierde. Seit Monaten schon haben sie nicht mehr miteinander geschlafen. Als sie auf einem Trödelmarkt eine Fotografie entdeckt, weckt das Erinnerungen in ihr.

A captivating exploration of human love, marriage, and the illusions upon which it is founded, Mrs. Kimble presents a fascinating psychological portrait of a mesmerizing opportunist and the women who believe in him. Beautifully wrought, stunningly original, Jennifer Haigh's sparkling debut marks the arrival of a remarkable new talent.

The unmissable third and final instalment of Jenny Colgan's return to the Little School by the Sea - perfect for anyone who ever dreamed of going to boarding school!

Rose waits for her family to arrive at their villa in Tuscany when a casual glance at her husband's phone tips her world upside down. The text reads simply: 'Miss you. Love you. Come back soon.' Daniel has always been popular with women, she knows that. But until this moment she has had no cause for worry. Has something shifted within their marriage without her realising? As the family gathers for the summer break, Rose's faith in Daniel is shaken. How well does she really know him?

From the best-selling author of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, a ghost story, a psychological thriller and a tale of love rediscovered. Elizabeth has been married to Michael for ten years. She has adjusted to a fairly monotonous routine with her wealthy, decent but boring husband. Part of this routine involves occasional visits to Beinn Caorrun, the dank and gloomy house in a Scottish glen that Michael inherited. There are memories there that Michael will not share with her. But then Michael begins to change. It starts when he thinks he sees, in a picture, the figure of a girl on a landing.

Loner Cole North has always been the odd guy out. His IQ is sky-high, but he’s not so bright when it comes to people or relationships. Years ago, he spurned expectations, shunned his family’s business, and embraced a career in construction, instead. Now, he values his job above everything, in part because of his secret feelings for his boss Sierra.

La presentadora del pódcast Arsénico Caviar y ganadora del Ondas, debuta con una afilada novela sobre una mujer harta del trabajo. El descontento es la historia de Marisa, una mujer en la treintena que vive anestesiada mediante orfidales y vídeos de Youtube para soportar las rutinas y pesares de su día a día en una agencia de publicidad. Tan solo acude presencialmente a la oficina para ahorrar dinero en aire acondicionado durante el sofocante agosto madrileño. Marisa odia el trabajo. Sin embargo, no puede dejarlo: le gustan demasiado las cosas bonitas.

El 25 de agosto de 1987 Héctor Abad Gómez, médico y activista en pro de los derechos humanos, es asesinado en Medellín. Este libro es su biografía novelada, escrita por su propio hijo. Un relato desgarrador y emocionante sobre la familia, que refleja, al tiempo, el infierno de la violencia que ha golpeado Colombia en los últimos cincuenta años.

人生にあるいくつかの大事な分岐点。そして私は今ここにいる。ビートルズのLPを抱えて高校の廊下を歩いていた少女。同じバイト先だった女性から送られてきた歌集の、今も記憶にあるいくつかの短歌。

A week on an island sounds like the stuff of beach dreams, but for Paisley Royce, it's a nightmare. Her little sister is marrying her ex-college sweetheart, and Paisley is serving as maid of honor. To add insult to injury, nobody will let Paisley forget she's single. Bachelorette weekend changes everything when she runs into her old college frenemy, Klein Madigan. Klein is still intelligent and funny, and somehow time has only made him more attractive.

A Treacherous Paradise sees Henning Mankell turn his talents for writing gripping thrillers to a world where power and powerlessness meet and passion is a dangerous commodity. Hanna Lundmark escapes the brutal poverty of rural Sweden for a job as a cook onboard a steamship headed for Australia. Jumping ship at the African port of Lourenço Marques, Hanna decides to begin her life afresh. Stumbling across what she believes to be a down-at-heel hotel, Hanna becomes embroiled in a sequence of events that lead to her inheriting the most successful brothel in town.

"Alors qu'autour de moi tombaient les corps, Fort Alamo était en passe d'être pris." Devant la caisse du supermarché, Cyril maudit en silence le type qui l’a doublé l’air de rien. Quelques minutes plus tard, le resquilleur s’effondre sur le carrelage, foudroyé. Pour Cyril, père de famille sans histoires, c’est le début d’une série de faits similaires qui le plongent dans une angoisse existentielle. Ou est-ce plutôt la disparition récente de sa mère, la nécessité de vider la maison de son enfance ? À moins que ce ne soit Noël qui approche, les cadeaux à trouver, le repas chez la belle-sœur.

Likoma Island in Lake Malawi is renowned throughout Africa for its exotic and treacherous beauty - and its secret history of human sacrifice, hidden treasure, and unspeakable horror. A history that cannot be hidden forever. Lana Devereax travels to Malawi seeking the truth behind her father's disappearance near Likoma Island 15 years ago. But Lana soon finds herself caught in a web of deceit, passion, and black magic that stretches back over 200 years and has ramifications that reach well beyond the shores of Lake Malawi.

Allie has lived a careful, focused existence. But now she has unexpectedly taken leave from her job as an academic research scientist to fly to a place she only recently heard about in a letter. Her father, Joe, doesn’t know the reason for her trip, and Allie can’t bring herself to tell him that she’s flying to Italy to unpick the truth about what her mother did all those years ago.