Contemporary Fiction Books

Delve into this thrilling tale about a troubled chess prodigy and her battle to survive. Now a major Netflix series starring Anya Taylor-Joy. When she is sent to an orphanage at the age of eight, Beth Harmon soon discovers two ways to escape her surroundings, albeit fleetingly: playing chess and taking the little green pills given to her and the other children to keep them subdued.  Before long, it becomes apparent that hers is a prodigious talent, and as she progresses to the top of the US chess rankings she is able to forge a new life for herself. But she can never quite overcome her urge to self-destruct.  For Beth, there's more at stake than merely winning and losing. 'Few novelists have written about genius - and addiction - as acutely as Walter Tevis' – The Telegraph Product Information: • ISBN: 9781474622578 • Author: Walter Tevis • Publisher: W&N • Format: Paperback • Pages: 256 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.6 x cm

Greer Clovelly seems to have it all: beautiful, chic and slender, she’s used to getting her own way... Greer has been in love with Jesse Behenna since her first day at school and she’s determined that one day, they’ll be married. After all, a marriage between them would join together two dynasties of Cornish fishing families to make one prosperous one For her friend, Loveday Carter – plump, freckled and unpretentious – living in the shadow of her friend has become a way of life. She loves Jesse too, but knows that what Greer wants, she usually gets Jesse, caught in the middle, faces an agonising choice. Should he follow his heart or bow to his father’s wishes? And what about his best friend Mickey, who worships the ground that Loveday walks on Jesse’s decision will touch them all in ways that they could never foresee, and as the dark clouds start to gather the four friends find themselves weathering a storm – one that has the power to sink them all… Product Information: ISBN: 9780007562961 Author: Fern Britton Publisher: Harper Collins Format: Paperback Pages: 432 Dimensions: 19.7 x 13 x 2.7cm

After a tough break-up, Ellie returns to the only place she's ever really felt at home - the coastal town of Sanderson Bay. A year later, she's living her dream, brewing delicious artisan teas and selling them at her very own cafe. And when the mysterious and brooding Ben walks into her tearoom, Ellie finally dares to dream of true love. But then her ex shows up in the Bay, and just as Ellie discovers some tragic truths about her family's past, she learns Ben might be hiding an unwelcome secret of his own... Can Ellie let go of her past and brave a future with Ben? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781800245945 • Author: Rachel Burton • Publisher: Head of Zeus • Format: Paperback • Pages: 320 • Dimensions: 19.7 x 12.9 x 2.3 cm

Life in the Cornish village of Pendruggan isn’t always picture perfect. Penny Leighton has never told anyone why she’s estranged from her mother and sister. For years she’s kept her family secrets locked away in her heart, but they’ve been quietly eating away at her. When an unwelcome visitor blows in, Penny is brought face to face with the past. And a postcard, tucked away in a long-hidden case, holds the truth that could change everything. Young Ella has come back to the place where she spent a happy childhood with her grandmother. Now she’s here to search for everything missing in her life. Taken under Penny’s broken wing for the summer, the safe haven of Pendruggan feels like the place for a fresh start. Soon, however, Ella starts to wonder if perhaps her real legacy doesn’t lie in the past at all. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780007562992 • Author: Fern Britton • Publisher: HarperCollins • Format: Paperback • Pages: 416 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.6 cm

When you open up your home and your heart …  Rowan Forrester has it all – the happy marriage, the adorable dog, the good friends, the promising business and even the dream home after she and her husband Tom win a stunning but slightly dilapidated Georgian townhouse in London at auction. But in the blink of an eye, Rowan’s picture\-perfect life comes crashing down around her and she is faced with the prospect of having to start again. To make ends meet she begins a search for housemates, and in doing so opens the door to new friends and new beginnings. But could she be opening the door to new heartbreak too? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781781894590 • Author: Angela Barton • Publisher: Choc Lit • Format: Paperback • Pages: 320 

A family home. A buried secret . . . Eight years ago, Margot Sorrell left the crumbling family home in the Somerset countryside, hoping never to return. And until she tells her two sisters why she ran away, they refuse to forgive her... But when her sisters' perfect lives starting to unravel, Margot knows she must go back. The river by her home has kept her secret all this time - as well as the memories of the terrible night that tore her family apart. As the past threatens to surface, will the truth destroy the Sorrell family - or bring them back together? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781409152279 • Author: Hannah Richell • Publisher: Orion • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.6 x 2.8 cm

Joel is afraid of the future. Since he was a child he's been haunted by dreams about the people he loves. Visions of what's going to happen - the good and the bad. And the only way to prevent them is to never let anyone close to him again. Callie can't let go of the past. Since her best friend died, Callie's been lost. She knows she needs to be more spontaneous and live a bigger life. She just doesn't know how to find a way back to the person who used to have those dreams. Joel and Callie both need a reason to start living for today. And though they're not looking for each other, from the moment they meet it feels like the start of something life-changing. Until Joel has a vision of how it's going to end . . . Product Information: • ISBN: 9781529324389 • Author: Holly Miller • Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks • Format: Paperback • Pages: 400 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3 cm

From the author of How to Stop Time and Reasons to Stay Alive comes this touching, funny and heartwarming new novel where ―  between life and death ―  there is a library . . . Nora's life has been going from bad to worse.  Then at the stroke of midnight on her last day on earth, she finds herself transported to a library. There she is given the chance to undo her regrets and try out each of the other lives she might have lived. Which raises the ultimate question: with infinite choices, what is the best way to live? ‘An uplifting, poignant novel about regret, hope and second chances’ ― David Nicholls ‘A beguiling read, filled with warmth and humour, and a vibrant celebration of the power of books to change lives’ ― Sunday Times Product Information: • ISBN: 9781786892737 • Author: Matt Haig • Publisher: Canongate Books • Format: Paperback • Pages: 304 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 1.7 cm

Heartbreak and cake at the Art Café … It was meant to be the perfect romantic holiday. But then Flora Bexton’s boyfriend does the unthinkable, and she responds in the only logical way: she steals his motorbike and escapes for a holiday by herself on the Welsh coast. Far from the lonely trip she imagined, Flora soon finds comfort at the friendly local Art Café where the legendary hot chocolate and cake help to ease her troubled mind. And when Aussie\-Welsh lifeguard Jake Foley steps in just when Flora needs help the most, she realises that her ‘holiday’ feels more like home with every passing day. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781781894637 • Author: Sue McDonagh • Publisher: Cho Lit • Format: Paperback • Pages: 320 

Can Kerra's Cornish hometown offer the fresh start she needs? When Kerra left the quiet Cornish town of Penvennan Cove for the bright lights of London she didn't look back. But after the death of her mother, she's decided it's time to face her past and return to the place she called home. Tackling town gossip, home renovations and a flame from her past, it's not quite smooth sailing for Kerra. Ross is the bad boy she was meant to forget, not a man who still sets her heart aflutter. As he helps bring her dream home to life, they begin to break down the barriers that have been holding them back and in the process learn things about themselves they never thought possible. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781800245938 • Author: Linn B. Halton • Publisher: Head of Zeus • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.6cm

She never thought she'd love again... In her late 50s and having lived in Tenerife for over 15 years, there's not much on the island that can surprise widowed Elspeth. Until her hotelier friend asks her to put up a guest after they've overbooked - and handsome Charles is suddenly staying in very close quarters. Long buried emotions are coming back to life. Devastated by the death of her husband four years ago, Elspeth isn't open to new romance. Yet something about Charles pulls her in, and they grow closer together. But Charles' holiday is drawing to a close, and Elspeth needs to decide what she really wants - and how to get it. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781800322271 • Author: Lilac Mills  • Publisher: Canelo • Format: Paperback • Pages: 304 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2 cm  

Friends do nice things for each other, right? That's what Polly Bowman tells herself when she agrees to be her friend Bailey's 'fake girlfriend' to help him keep a promise to his family. After all, Bailey has always supported her through difficult times - he even knows about her secret singing sessions at the local speakeasy bar. But maintaining a fake relationship isn't easy, and when Polly's meddling but well-meaning group of friends throw her and Bailey together as best man and maid-of-honour for an upcoming wedding, Polly soon realises she's going to have to confront a few long-kept secrets head on ... Product Information: • ISBN: 9781781894613 • Author: Lucy Keeling • Publisher: Choc Lit • Format: Paperback • Pages: 288

E L James revisits the world of Fifty Shades with a deeper and darker take on the love story that has enthralled millions of readers around the globe. Their scorching, sensual affair ended in heartbreak and recrimination, but Christian Grey cannot get Anastasia Steele out of his mind, or his blood. Determined to win her back, he tries to suppress his darkest desires and his need for complete control, and to love Ana on her own terms. But the horrors of his childhood still haunt him, and Ana's scheming boss, Jack Hyde, clearly wants her for himself. Can Christian's confidant and therapist, Dr. Flynn, help him face down his demons? Or will the possessiveness of Elena, his seducer, and the deranged devotion of Leila, his former submissive, drag Christian down into the past? And if Christian does win Ana back, can a man so dark and damaged ever hope to keep her? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781787460560 • Author: E L James • Publisher: Arrow • Format: Paperback • Pages: 560 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 4.6 cm

Four best friends. Their husbands and children. One luxurious villa in Provence. It was supposed to be the perfect holiday. But there is trouble in paradise. When Kate suspects that her husband is having an affair with one of her best friends, which one of these women are willing to sacrifice the friendship? As Kate closes in on the truth, she realises that it is too late and the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined. Someone in the villa is prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden. 'Hypnotically readable' - Lee Child. Product Information: ISBN: 9781785767708 Author: T M Logan Publisher: Zaffre Format: Paperback Pages: 480 Dimensions: 20 x 13 x 3.5cm

You know everything about your husband. Don't you? He loves you. He loves your children. He'd never put his family in danger. One of these is a lie. It started like any other day at the hairdressers where Sally works as a stylist... until her first client innocently shows her a family photograph; a photograph that causes Sally to collapse in shock. In one moment, Sally discovers that Tom has been hiding an explosive secret, one that could tear apart the life they've built together. Faced with an impossible dilemma - search for the truth, or keep her contented life? - Sally is about to discover that even those closest to us have secrets... and that sometimes the truth is the last thing we want to hear. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781800321113 • Author: Jackie Walsh • Publisher: Canelo Hera • Format: Paperback • Pages: 352

For years, rumors of the 'Marsh Girl' have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable happens. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781472154668 • Author: Delia Owens • Publisher: Corsair • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.4cm

She says he's perfect. I know he's lying . . . He caught me watching, and our eyes met. That was when it hit me. There was something not quite right about my daughter's new boyfriend . . . The doting father... Ed finally meets his daughter's boyfriend for the first time. Smart, successful and handsome, Ryan appears to be a real catch. Then Abbie announces their plan to get married. The perfect fiancé...There's just one problem. Ed thinks Ryan is lying to them. Who would you believe? All of Ed's instincts tell him his daughter is in terrible danger - but no-one else can see it. With the wedding date approaching fast, Ed sets out to uncover Ryan's secrets, before it's too late . . . Product Information: • ISBN: 9781838771164 • Author: T.M. Logan • Publisher: Zaffre • Format: Paperback • Pages: 448 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 3.2cm

Emily is sure she's getting this baby stuff all wrong. Why does everyone else look like they're smashing motherhood when she's barely made it out of her maternity leggings and out of the house? Her other half tries to say all the right things (can't he just keep making her toast?). Her mum is brilliant (but on the other side of the country). Her two new mum-friends seem to feel like misfits too - but there's really just one person she wants to open up to...only Emily hasn't spoken to her for fifteen years. Lonely but not alone, Emily's about to discover that when you're starting a family, what you really need are your friends. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781409185987 • Author: Anna Jefferson • Publisher: Orion • Format: Paperback • Pages: 352  • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm

Olivia Croft's life is at a crossroads. After the cancellation of her TV show, she’s hoping to finally conceive the child she craves with her husband Derek - and that she'll be able to forget the recent revelation that her late mother, the famous movie star Jillian Croft, did not give birth to her or her two sisters. But her world only collapses further when she uncovers the cruel secret Derek has kept throughout their eight-year marriage. Unable to forgive his betrayal, Olivia flees LA for the coast of Maine. There she finds herself drawn to Duncan, a kindred spirit whose life has been equally shattered. But before Olivia can embrace a brand-new future, she will have to come to terms with the past, and face a final truth about her mother, one she never could have imagined.  Product Information: • ISBN: 9781472258755 • Author: Muna Shehadi • Publisher: Headline Review • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 20 x 13.34 x 2.54 cm

Rumours. Scandal. Danger. The Brontë sisters are ready to investigate . . . In Yorkshire, 1845, there are dark rumours are spreading across the moors. Everything indicates that Mrs Elizabeth Chester of Chester Grange has been brutally murdered in her home - but nobody can find her body. As the dark murmurs reach Emily, Anne and Charlotte Brontë, the sisters are horrified, yet intrigued. Before they know it, the siblings become embroiled in the quest to find the vanished bride, sparking their imaginations but placing their lives at great peril . . . Product Information: • ISBN: 9781529389029 • Author: Bella Ellis • Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 2.8 cm