Perfect reading to get you through!
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Paperback | Pub: 07 Mar 2019£8.99
LONGLISTED FOR THE MCILVANNEY PRIZE 2019 When reporter Rebecca Connolly is told of Roddie Drummond’s return to the island of Stoirm she senses a story. Fifteen years before he was charged with the murder of his lover, Mhairi. When he was found Not…
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Paperback | Pub: 06 Jun 2019£8.99In 1920s Scotland a foreign dignitary on a secret visit has been abducted by men who plan to murder him. Veteran adventurer Richard Hannay must recruit three of his oldest friends to prevent a catastrophe that could plunge Europe into another war….
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Paperback | Pub: 09 May 2019£8.99‘Give me three years and we’ll be millionaires,’ Nick challenged his long-suffering family in 1980, when cash was king. ‘I’ve got an idea that’s going to take us to the top.’ Tinkering with alchemy in an old stable he shared with a…
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Paperback | Pub: 06 Jun 2019£9.99
The Shepherd and the Morning Star is a remarkable double biography and autobiography. In the course of it the life of the son, Willie Orr, gradually emerges from under the shadow of that of his father, Lawrence Orr (PB), leading Ulster Unionist…
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Hardback | Pub: 10 Oct 2019£9.99
Andy Bollen has created a fantasy football museum to collect together a treasure trove of Scottish football exhibits that ranges from Jimmy Johnstone’s oar to Aggie the tea lady’s trolley. Learn why Puskas and Socrates should’ve been…
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Paperback | Pub: 21 Sep 2017£14.99From the Ice Age to the recent Scottish Referendum, historian and author Alistair Moffat explores the history of the Scottish nation. As well as focusing on key moments in the nation’s history such as the Battle of Bannockburn and the Jacobite…
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Paperback | Pub: 23 Apr 2020£9.99£7.99A poem does not have to be famous to be cherished. The best-known poems of Robert Burns have been loved by countless people over the years, but there are other poems that may be largely unknown that will mean a great deal to the few who are familiar…
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Paperback | Pub: 14 Sep 2017£8.99Bringing together six short stories – two of which are previously unpublished – One Last Dram Before Midnight is the perfect Christmas gift for fans of Denzil Meyrick. These tales take us from Jim Daley’s early days pounding the beat in…
Check out our specially selected Reading Boxes!
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Multiple-component | Pub: 23 Mar 2020£25.00Plunge into a series of chilling tales, cold blooded murders and mind-bending mysteries with our specially selected Crime & Mystery box. Featuring gritty detectives, investigative journalists and family feuds, this is a collection that will…
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Multiple-component | Pub: 23 Mar 2020£35.00Immerse yourself in nature with this collection of some of the finest nature writing on offer today. Explore the ancient forest of Caledon, find out why there are no wolves in Scotland, and experience life as a citzen of a vanishing landscape. This…
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Multiple-component | Pub: 23 Mar 2020£30.00Keep your kids stimulated and entertained with our specially selected activity box. With activity books, colouring in and even children’s cooking, you can keep you and your kids entertained! This box includes: The Sticker Atlas of Scotland My…
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Multiple-component | Pub: 23 Mar 2020£25.00Keep your spirits up with these uplifting, sensational and heart-warming reads. Talking alpacas, love in the face of adversity, and journeys to find yourself – these stories will keep you entertained and inspired! This box includes: The…
Coming Soon
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Paperback | Pub: 09 Jul 2020£8.99Ardnish, the Highlands of Scotland, 1944. On his deathbed, Donald John Gillies sends for a priest to hear his last confession. During his 85 years he has witnessed much – world wars, the loss of family through death and emigration, and the daily…
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Paperback | Pub: 20 Jul 2020£16.99
Labels such as ‘icon’ or ‘legend’ are rarely attached to one individual to the degree that they are to Bruce Lee. He only made a handful of films, yet four and a half decades after his untimely death at the age of 32, the Little Dragon’s…
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Box Set | Pub: 23 Jul 2020£12.99A unique activity tin packed with fun things to do and look out for whilst in Scotland. Includes: 2 x mini sticker sheets (one with letters to personalise the tin lid with names and holiday destinations, one with images to stick on) Visitor ID…
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Box Set | Pub: 23 Jul 2020£12.99A unique activity tin all about Scottish nature featuring animals, trees, plants and landscapes, from the golden eagle and red deer to the pine marten and wild cat, not forgetting the Scots pine, silver birch and heather and lots more…
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Multiple-component | Pub: 23 Jul 2020£12.99This jigsaw is a great way to find out all about Scotland – its cities, mountains, rivers, wildlife and famous places, not to mention history, culture, sports, industry and transport. Featuring detailed illustrations and key place-names, it is…
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Paperback | Pub: 23 Jul 2020£8.99The ever-expanding world of whisky can be a daunting one, with a deluge of new brands, distilleries and literature on the subject making it all but impossible for the amateur whisky drinker to find their way. Blair Bowman provides a compact and…
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Paperback | Pub: 23 Jul 2020£7.99Let your children unleash the magic of Scotland’s myths and legends with this remarkable magic painting book! Unveil dragons, unicorns and even Nessie with the magic paint brush! Go on a journey of discovery through this exquisite and…
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Paperback | Pub: 23 Jul 2020£7.99Let your children discover all of the most iconic Scottish animals with this remarkable magic painting book! Discover the majestic red deer, playful otter and the amazing Highland cow with the magic paint brush! Go on a journey through all the…
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Hardback | Pub: 06 Aug 2020£9.99Stories do not have to be long. In the space of a couple of sentences – or even a page or two – we may see the human heart exposed in a way that is more powerful than occurs in many much longer narratives. In Tiny Tales Alexander McCall Smith…
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Paperback | Pub: 06 Aug 2020£9.99In this profound new book, Alastair McIntosh explores the science, psychology and spirituality of climate change. He summarises the up-to-date science and shows the damage caused both by climate-change denial as well as exaggeration. In outlining…
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Paperback | Pub: 06 Aug 2020£12.99This is a new edition of the bestselling guide to this increasingly popular pursuit. Scotland has the best-maintained records and facilities of any country in the world for undertaking family research, and now that the National Archives of Scotland…
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Paperback | Pub: 06 Aug 2020£8.99Sarah Sutherland wanted to be an archaeologist but now she is struggling to cope with the demands of work and caring for her elderly father, who has his own secret troubles. Her fascination with the past still remains, and she feels a special…
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Paperback | Pub: 03 Sep 2020£14.99In 1971 Alec Crawford is determined to make his fortune from ship salvage. Early attempts lead nowhere until he teams up with a new partner, Simon Martin. Diving in Hebridean waters, they explore remains of the Spanish Armada, and the wreck of the…
Latest Releases
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Paperback | Pub: 02 Jul 2020£8.99
‘Sweaty, seedy fun’ – Ian Rankin A CRIME READERS ASSOCIATION Read of the Month When Daniella Coulstoun’s estranged mother Effie dies in Spain under suspicious circumstances, she feels it’s her duty to fly out for the funeral. On…
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Paperback | Pub: 02 Jul 2020£8.99
The origins of the Scottish clans go back over a thousand years, and for centuries these extended networks of families dominated life in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. The warriors of the clan, fiercely loyal to each other and to their chief,…
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Paperback | Pub: 02 Jul 2020£8.99
An essential read for fans of Outlander During the first half of the eighteenth century, Bonnie Prince Charlie and his diehard supporters – the Jacobites – almost changed the course of British history. Their attempts to drive out the house of…
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Paperback | Pub: 11 Jun 2020£8.99Paul Stewart has returned to Scotland to continue his successful career. His agent and girlfriend, Gloria, has arranged for him to write The Philosophy of Food in Six Easy Chapters, a project he relishes but that will have to be delivered in six…
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Paperback | Pub: 04 Jun 2020£8.99Teenager Alison Doig disappeared from Kinloch over thirty years ago under mysterious circumstances. Her reclusive family still live in a remote part of the Kintyre peninsula, amidst rumours of wrecking, smuggling and barbaric cruelty. Now rich…
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Paperback | Pub: 01 Jun 2020£14.99The 2018/19 Premier League season was a historic one for African players in English football. More than 130 years after Arthur Wharton became the first, Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah shared the Golden Boot with Arsenal’s Gabon striker…
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Hardback | Pub: 21 May 2020£14.99There are strange relics hidden across Scotland’s landscape: forgotten places that are touchstones to incredible stories and past lives which still resonate today. Yet why are so many of these ‘wild histories’ unnoticed and overlooked? And…
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Hardback | Pub: 21 May 2020£20.00Scotland’s plants define its landscape – from the heather moorlands of its iconic habitats to the weeds and a garden plants of its towns and cities. Plants have shaped the country’s domestic economy and culture over centuries, providing…
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Paperback | Pub: 14 May 2020£8.99You can’t change your past. You can only use the experiences you live through to make your future better, wiser. Anna and her best friend George meet every week to remember, to sigh, to laugh, to reminisce about their moments of glory, guilt and…
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Calendar | Pub: 07 May 2020£9.99This calendar features distinctive full-colour paintings by one of Scotland’s best-loved authors and artists and is a wonderful celebration of the extraordinary natural beauty of the Hebrides throughout the seasons. Mairi Hedderwick’s drawings,…
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Hardback | Pub: 07 May 2020£12.99
This hardback desk diary is illustrated throughout with Mairi Hedderwick’s beautiful sketches of the Hebrides through the seasons. Featuring distinctive full-colour paintings by one of Scotland’s best-loved authors and artists, this exquisite…
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Hardback | Pub: 07 May 2020£7.99
This hardback pocket diary is illustrated throughout with Mairi Hedderwick’s beautiful sketches of the Hebrides through the seasons. Featuring distinctive full-colour paintings by one of Scotland’s best-loved authors and artists, this exquisite…
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Paperback | Pub: 07 May 2020£8.99
In June 1940, the Channel Islands becomes the only part of Great Britain to be occupied by Hitler’s forces. Hedy Bercu, a young Jewish girl from Vienna who fled to Jersey two years earlier to escape the Anschluss, finds herself once more entrapped…
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Paperback | Pub: 07 May 2020£16.99Muhammad Ali is one of the most remarkable sports personalities and celebrities of our time. He is a legend who transcended boxing and rose above all sport. A man of mythic proportions, Ali rose to become a prominent feature of our cultural…
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Calendar | Pub: 07 May 2020£9.99Following the continued success of the 2020 Scottish Maps Calendar, Birlinn is once again proud to collaborate with the National Library of Scotland. This new calendar features more of the most beautiful maps of Scotland ever made. From the very…
A Year of Sport
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Hardback | Pub: 03 Sep 2020£17.99
The 1970 World Cup is widely regarded as the greatest ever staged, with more goals scored per game than any tournament since. But more than just the proliferation of goals was the quality of the overall football, as some of the greatest teams ever…
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Paperback | Pub: 20 Jul 2020£16.99
Labels such as ‘icon’ or ‘legend’ are rarely attached to one individual to the degree that they are to Bruce Lee. He only made a handful of films, yet four and a half decades after his untimely death at the age of 32, the Little Dragon’s…
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Paperback | Pub: 01 Jun 2020£14.99
The 2018/19 Premier League season was a historic one for African players in English football. More than 130 years after Arthur Wharton became the first, Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah shared the Golden Boot with Arsenal’s Gabon striker…
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Paperback | Pub: 07 May 2020£16.99
Muhammad Ali is one of the most remarkable sports personalities and celebrities of our time. He is a legend who transcended boxing and rose above all sport. A man of mythic proportions, Ali rose to become a prominent feature of our cultural…
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Paperback | Pub: 14 Feb 2020£9.99
From being the most dominant club in Scottish football history, Rangers F.C., one of the most famous and powerful names in British sport, was sold to venture capitalist Craig Whyte in 2011 . . . for £1. When Whyte walked through the gates at Ibrox,…
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Paperback | Pub: 07 Nov 2019£9.99Fernando Ricksen was a fighter. As a footballer, Ricksen carved out a fearsome reputation for Rangers, Zenit St Petersburg and Holland. Throughout his time at Ibrox, his aggressive approach won him hero status among the Rangers fans, and off the…
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Hardback | Pub: 10 Oct 2019£17.99Listed as one of the five worst international selections ever, and described in a book about Scottish rugby as ‘a full back slower than your average prop’, Ian Smith cheerfully won eight caps for Scotland in a career that saw him score every…
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Hardback | Pub: 10 Oct 2019£9.99
Andy Bollen has created a fantasy football museum to collect together a treasure trove of Scottish football exhibits that ranges from Jimmy Johnstone’s oar to Aggie the tea lady’s trolley. Learn why Puskas and Socrates should’ve been…
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Paperback | Pub: 10 Oct 2019£14.99In Life in La Liga, football writer Rab MacWilliam delves to the heart of one of Europe’s most historically and politically complex nations to explore its rich football history, examining its deep-rooted rivalries and internecine vendettas, and…
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Paperback | Pub: 09 May 2019£9.99
In 1998-99, Manchester United won the Premier League, the FA Cup and Champions League – the only English team ever to accomplish such a feat. Whether that makes it the finest of all time is open to debate, but what is not is the status of the…
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Hardback | Pub: 11 Apr 2019£16.99
Young Tom Morris, the son of the legendary pioneer of golf, Tom Morris, was golf’s first superstar. Born at a pivotal moment in history, just as the new and inexpensive ‘gutty’ ball was making golf affordable and drawing thousands of new…
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Paperback | Pub: 04 Oct 2018£14.99In the 1980s and 1990s, Serie A was known as ‘Il campionato più bello del mondo’ – the most beautiful championship in the world – and had the highest match attendances in Europe. The stadiums were not only full of people, but full of…
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Hardback | Pub: 04 Oct 2018£16.99
Advantage Play tells the dramatic stories of the key technological breakthroughs in four thousand years of sporting history used to gain an advantage in sport. Novel materials are never far away: rubber for rugby and tennis balls, carbon fibre for…
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Paperback | Pub: 06 Sep 2018£9.99
Butch Wilkins and the Sundance Kid chronicles the author’s decade-long obsession with televised sport during his teenage years in the 1980s. Charting similar waters to Nick Hornby’s classic Fever Pitch, but with the hopeless devotion of a…
Muriel Spark
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Hardback | Pub: 06 Sep 2018£9.99Often described as the perfect partner to The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Spark’s last novel is set in Switzerland where Rowland and his wife Nina run a finishing school. Murderous jealousy soon rears its head when a precocious young student shows…
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Hardback | Pub: 06 Sep 2018£9.99Hildegard Wolf is a German psychiatrist who lives a comfortable life in Paris. When she encounters a client who claims to be Lord Lucan, she can’t help but be intrigued. After all, he’s the second man who has claimed to be the elusive lord. But…
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Hardback | Pub: 06 Sep 2018£9.99
Described by Gore Vidal as ‘a novel written at the top of her form and so unique’, Reality and Dreams concerns the delirious, egocentric film director Tom Richards, who is recovering from injuries sustained while falling off a crane on set. His…
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Hardback | Pub: 09 Aug 2018£9.99Described by Time Magazine as ‘a lethal comedy’, Symposium centres around a dinner party and the lives of the five couples in attendance, including a burglary ring, a convent of Marxist nuns and several unexplained deaths. A devilish tale. This…
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Hardback | Pub: 02 Aug 2018£9.99Wealthy Canadian scholar Harvey Gotham lives in splendid isolation in France and is working on a book about Job. He loves his wife, Effie, dearly but she has taken to planting bombs in supermarkets and has joined an anarchist group. Here, Spark…
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Hardback | Pub: 08 Jun 2018£9.99Described by Edmund White as ‘a hilarious account of political and romantic intrigue’, Territorial Rights tells the tale of aspiring art historian Robert who encounters an enigmatic Bulgarian refugee, Lina, in the labyrinthine canals and streets…
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Hardback | Pub: 07 Jun 2018£9.99Italy, the setting an enchanted lake southeast of Rome, and American heiress Maggie – famed for her beauty, wealth and steely will – is the target for an assortment of con men, jewel thieves, counterfeiters, adulterers and spongers. A dazzling,…
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Hardback | Pub: 07 Jun 2018£9.99It is time to elect a new abbess at the Convent of Crewe. There are two contenders: nuns Alexandra and Felicity. Alexandra is busy bugging the convent while Felicity calls the police when her love letters (to a young Jesuit priest) are stolen. A…
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Hardback | Pub: 10 May 2018£9.99During World War II, Elsa and Paul were involved in secret propaganda work in England. It is now 1973 and they are living in New York. Elsa is convinced that a German ex-POW – and former lover – who has appeared in New York, may be planning to…
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Hardback | Pub: 10 May 2018£9.99Geneva. As a ferocious thunderstorm rages outside, behind the locked doors of the library the aristocratic Klopstocks are ‘not to be disturbed’. In the attic, Baron Klopstock’s lunatic brother rants and raves. But in the staff quarters, all is…
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Hardback | Pub: 08 Feb 2018£9.991961. While on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, English teacher Barbara Vaughan becomes intent on joining her archaeologist fiance Harry, who is working on the site of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Ignoring warnings not to cross the Mandelbaum Gate –…
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Hardback | Pub: 08 Feb 2018£9.99London, 1945. The girls of slender means are the residents of the May of Teck Club, a genteel yet rather shabby boarding house established for the ‘social protection of ladies of slender means below the age of thirty years’. The novel concerns…
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Hardback | Pub: 08 Feb 2018£9.99Edinburgh, 1930, and the world is on the brink of change. Leading the charge is the glamorous, free-spirited Miss Jean Brodie, schoolteacher at the Marcia Blaine Academy, whose guiding principle is ‘Give me a girl at an impressionable age and…
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Hardback | Pub: 08 Feb 2018£9.99Spiritualist and extortionist Patrick Seton is coming up for trial. He’s been accused of forgery, and suddenly West London’s bachelors are all in a tizzy. Described by Evelyn Waugh as the ‘cleverest and most elegant of all Mrs Spark’s clever…
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Hardback | Pub: 14 Dec 2017£9.99After young publishing assistant and war widow Mrs Hawkins crosses swords with writer Hector Bartlett the repercussions are swift. Set in postwar literary London, A Far Cry from Kensington is a mischievous and stylish tale of the cost of telling the…
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Hardback | Pub: 16 Nov 2017£9.99
Bound for the Azores, a plane crashes onto an isolated island somewhere in the North Atlantic. January Marlow is one of the three survivors – and the only woman. She wakes to find herself being cared for by Miles Mary Robinson, the island’s…
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Hardback | Pub: 16 Nov 2017£9.99Described by David Lodge as ‘her first masterpiece’, Memento Mori opens with a telephone call and the words ‘Remember you must die’. Over several months, a circle of elderly men and women receive similar calls and everyone becomes a suspect….
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Hardback | Pub: 16 Nov 2017£9.99Caroline Rose has a problem. She hears voices and the incessant tapping of typewriter keys, and she seems to be a character in a novel . . . A comedy of errors, a crime novel, a book about books, Spark’s debut remains as otherworldly and…
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Hardback | Pub: 16 Nov 2017£9.99A bewitching comic masterpiece, The Ballad of Peckham Rye relates the tale of one Dougal Douglas, who is taken on by a small textile firm to ‘bring vision into the lives of the workers’. A devilishly charismatic force of nature who likes nothing…
