The Doll House

A beguiling, entrancing novel that tells the story of a prominent Egyptian family’s struggle to survive the turmoil of post-World War II Cairo.Gigi grew up in a wonderful house in Cairo, a house that was home to a large, extended family. The men of the house were involved in politics and business, cotton and trading, and the women visited and gossiped, shopped and arranged marriages and other family matters. The house was always open to visitors, political associates, family: the traditional Egyptian hospitality mixed easily with a cosmopolitan style. It was an opulent world that seemed unchangeable.But the pashas’ time was ending. Many were forced into exile, and for those who remained there was an uneasy mix of new expectations and old traditions. Gigi, a modern woman from a patrician background, faced the conflicts between a traditional marriage and the loss of a family, between exile and the need to create a new life while striving to stay in touch with her roots.Samia Serageldin’s first novel is a brilliant, haunting and fascinating story of a woman, a family and a culture in transition.

‘Haunting and evocative.’ Clare Mackintosh‘A beautiful, stirring story of loss and obsession’ Lisa JewellSome friendships are made to be brokenCornwall, summer of 1986.The Davenports, with their fast cars and glamorous clothes, living the dream in a breathtaking house overlooking the sea.If only… thinks sixteen-year-old Tamsyn, her binoculars trained on the perfect family in their perfect home.If only her life was as perfect as theirs.If only Edie Davenport would be her friend.If only she lived at The Cliff House…Amanda Jennings weaves a haunting tale of obsession, loss and longing, set against the brooding North Cornish coastline, destined to stay with readers long after the final page is turned.PRAISE FOR THE CLIFF HOUSE‘Absorbingly atmospheric … beautiful and sinister.’ The Times‘With a page-turning plot, brilliant sense of place and beautifully-drawn characters The Cliff House deserves to be one of the biggest hits of the summer.’ Cass Green‘A very special and utterly unforgettable tale of obsession, desire, grief and deceit – read it.’ Heat‘Haunting and evocative.’ Clare Mackintosh‘Immensely atmospheric, with vividly drawn characters and a set-up fraught with tension.’ Lucy Atkins‘Addictive and utterly compelling … a clever, thoughtful and page-turning novel.’ Hannah Beckerman

Spanning the 20th century Ami McKay takes a primitive and superstitious rural community in Nova Scotia and creates a rich tableau of characters to tell the story of childbirth from its most secretive early practices to modern maternity as we know it.Epic and enchanting, ‘The Birth House’ is a gripping saga about a midwife's struggles in the wilds of Nova Scotia.As a child in the small village of Scot's Bay, Dora Rare – the first female in five generations of Rares – is befriended by Miss Babineau, an elderly midwife with a kitchen filled with folk remedies and a talent for telling tales. Dora becomes her apprentice at the outset of World War I, and together they help women through difficult births, unwanted pregnancies and even unfulfilling marriages.But their traditions and methods are threatened when a doctor comes to town with promises of painless childbirth, and sets about undermining Dora's credibility. Death and deception, accusations and exile follow, as Dora and her friends fight to protect each other and the women's wisdom of their community. Hauntingly written and alive with historical detail, ‘The Birth House’ is an unforgettable, page-turning debut.

From the bestselling author of The Kashmir Shawl. Available on ebook for the first time.Olivia Giorgiadis has left her English roots behind. She lives on a tiny Greek island, married to a local man, mother to two small sons. Year on year, island life has followed a peaceful unchanging rhythm.Until now. An earthquake ravages the coast, its force devastating the island. In the aftermath comes a stranger: an Englishwoman, destitute but for the clothes she wears.Olivia welcomes the stranger into her home, the potter's house. But as Kitty melts into the family and the village community, so Olivia begins to sense that her mysterious visitor threatens all she holds dear…

Preorder the next book in the heartwarming and bestselling Love Heart Lane seriesLove Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what There’s a newcomer to the village of Heartcross and she’s never been more in need of a friend.As the new manager of local bistro, The Lake House, Ella is ready to start afresh –and that could mean there’s love on the horizon in the form of the gorgeous Roman, the local water taxi driver. Every day Roman is there to ferry Ella to the restaurant on the other side of the lake and every night he makes sure she gets home safe. But Roman has secrets of his own…Can the Love Heart Lane community offer Ella a chance of a new life? Or will the ghosts of her past catch up with her?

A classic Cold War spy story from the bestselling thriller writer Derek Lambert.The Red House follows a year in the life of Russian diplomat Vladimir Zhukov, the new Second Secretary at the Soviet Embassy in Washington – a ‘good Communist’ in 1960s America.Seeing what life in the West is really like, he discovers there is more to America than what Soviet propaganda has taught him. Increasingly intrigued by the Washington circuit, from outspoken confrontation between diplomats to the uninhibited sexual alliances arranged by their wives with other diplomats, the capitalist ‘poison’ begins to work on him and his wife.As he struggles to remain loyal to his country and begins to question who is the real enemy, he has to decide to whom is first loyalty due: country or lover, party or conscience.‘A gripping and topical novel’ Reading Chronicle

With you I’m in a different world, what happens in our world can’t harm anyone else…Ginnie Holmes has found something she never intended to find – an overwhelming passion for a man she should not be with. At an abandoned boathouse hidden on the riverbank of the Thames, Ginnie steps into a world that’s just a little bit brighter that her ordinary life.An escape from the crush of an empty marriage and a drifting life. A terrifying event means the lovers’ secret becomes a deadly catastrophe. A woman is found murdered at the river’s edge, just near the river house. And Ginnie finds herself in the path of extraordinary danger, not only facing the exposure and grief that she has feared, but endangering herself and everyone she loves.“Margaret Leroy writes like a dream” Tony Parsons

A serial killer on the loose. A mystery that must be solved before time runs out.Elderly Martha Beckett is a prisoner in her own home, and has been ever since her older brother disappeared at just nine years old. He went to hide in the cellar and never came back. And now Martha has sworn to protect anyone else from the evils lurking just below her floorboards. But whatever it is, has woken up – and is hungry again…When she calls the police for help, Annie Graham is the first to respond. Now Annie Ashworth, she is happily married to fellow police officer Will, with a gorgeous home and a job she loves. But then she hears the news – serial killer Henry Smith has escaped from his mental hospital and is on the run. So when a severed head lands at her colleague Jake’s feet – they can only assume that Henry is back to his old tricks. Last time he nearly killed Annie, and this time she’ll bet he wants to finish the job.So Annie now has two monsters to track down, before they kill again. And time is running out…A haunting crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seatLook out for more in the Annie Graham series:1. The Ghost House2. The Secrets of the Shadows3. The Forgotten Cottage4. The Lake House5. The Girls in the WoodsWhat readers are saying about the Annie Graham series'an atmospheric, spooky read, ideal for the season.' – I Heart Reading'The Ghost House is the most exciting book I have read in a very long time, and would make an absolutely perfect Halloween read! Amazing d?but from Helen Phifer and I eagerly await more from her!' – Judging Covers‘It was an atmospheric, spooky read, ideal for the season.’ – I Heart Reading‘I was really impressed by this book. … I was amazed how the author got inside of the mind of the serial killer and really showed you his psychotic thought processes.’ – Edler Park Book Reviews‘the twists and turns are fascinating.’ – A J Book Review Club‘The story constantly kept me on the edge of my seat. The Ghost House is a magnificent read and it's perfect for those who have a strong stomach and nerves of steel!’ – Librarian Lavender

New York Times bestselling author Linda Goodnight welcomes you to Honey Ridge, Tennessee, and a house that's rich with secrets and brimming with sweet possibilitiesMemories of motherhood and marriage are fresh for Julia Presley—though tragedy took away both years ago. Finding comfort in the routine of running the Peach Orchard Inn, she lets the historic, mysterious place fill the voids of love and family. No more pleasure of a man's gentle kiss. No more joy in hearing a child call her Mommy. Life is calm, unchanging…until a stranger with a young boy and soul-deep secrets shows up in her Tennessee town and disrupts the loneliness of her world.Julia suspects there's more to Eli Donovan's past than his motherless son, Alex. There's a reason he's chasing redemption and bent on earning it with a new beginning in Honey Ridge. Offering the guarded man work renovating the inn, she glimpses someone who—like her—has a heart in need of restoration. But with the chance discovery of a dusty stack of love letters buried within the lining of an old trunk, the long-dead ghosts of a Civil War romance envelop Julia and Eli, connecting them to the inn's violent history and challenging them both to risk facing yesterday's darkness for a future bright with hope and healing.