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At once troubling, funny, and joyous, this is an intimate, lyrical, and deeply moving novel of an ordinary family crumbling under the weight of past mistakes. Isabel Ashdown's captivating debut vividly brings to life the gentility of a 1950s childhood, the free-spirited hedonism of the 1960s, and the urban domesticity of 1980s Portsmouth. 13-year-old Jake's world is unraveling as his father and older brother leave home, and his mother plunges into alcoholic freefall. Despite his turbulent home life, Jake is an irrepressible teenager and his troubled mother is not the only thing on his mind: there's the hi-fi he's saving up for, his growing passion for Greek mythology (and his pretty classics teacher), and the anticipation of brief visits to see his dad. When his parents reconcile, life finally seems to be looking up. Their first family holiday, announced over scampi and chips in the Royal Oak, promises to be the icing on the cake—until long-unspoken family secrets begin to surface.
In this intense novel of secrets and simmering passions the acclaimed author of Glasshopper and Hurry Up and Wait takes us back to the legendary heat wave of 1976. It's the start of one of the hottest summers on record, with soaring temperatures and weeks without rain; the summer of Abba, T-Rex, David Bowie, and Demis Roussos; of Martinis, cheesecake, and chicken chasseur; of the Montreal Olympics and the Notting Hill riots—the summer Big Ben stopped dead. Luke Wolff is about to turn 18 and is all set to enjoy his last few months at home on the Isle of Wight before leaving for college. Life is looking good; his job at a holiday camp promises new friendships, even the possibility of romance...
No one knows you better than a sister—your dreams, your fears, your mistakes, and all your secrets. It was just that way when Jess and her older sister, Emily, were children. Born barely a year apart, they were deeply entwined, complementing each other in their differences. When Jess felt awkward and shy, Emily, the consummate big sister, was happy to take the lead. After a long estrangement, they’ve become close again. Jess moves into the comfortable Isle of Wight home Emily shares with her husband, step-daughter, and toddler. Any misgivings about the past are swept away and forgotten. And then, on New Year’s Eve, little Daisy disappears while in Jess’s care. Jess is in shock, unabl...
LIAR, LIAR . . . In the photograph Martha Benn has kept for two decades, three girls lounge on the grass during a school field trip. Beside Martha, there’s Liv, petite and wickedly funny, and Juliet, their unofficial leader, brave, kind, and effortlessly beautiful. Back then, they meant the world to each other. But when Juliet disappeared, the bond between Martha and Liv unraveled too. Martha was the last known person to see Juliet alive, and she still has no idea what happened after the two said goodnight on a towpath beside London’s Regent’s Canal. The next day, Juliet’s abandoned bicycle was discovered, but no sign of Juliet. Without witnesses or clues, the investigation fell apart. Martha, now a TV celebrity preparing to host a show investigating cold cases, finally has a chance to get answers. As Martha tries to piece together what happened to Juliet, she realizes that her memories of those long-ago bonds may not tell the whole story. And someone else may know more about Juliet’s fate, and their friendship, than she could ever have imagined . . .
When Wren Irving's numbers come up in the first-ever national lottery draw, she doesn't tell her husband, Rob. Instead, she quietly packs her bags, kisses her six-month-old daughter Phoebe goodbye, and leaves. Two decades later, Rob has moved on and found happiness with their oldest friend, Laura. Phoebe, now a young woman, has never known any other life. But when Rob receives a mysterious letter, the past comes back to haunt them all. With their cosy world thrown into turmoil, Laura sets out to track Wren down and discover the truth about why she walked out all those years ago. Isabel Ashdown is also the author of Hurry Up and Wait (Myriad, 2011) Summer of '76 (Myriad, 2013) and A Quiet Winter (Myriad, 2015).
As Davey and his fellow housemate Priss try to uncover the secrets of the house's inhabitants, both past and present, it becomes clear that the five strangers have all been drawn there by the events and the music of that long-ago summer.
***THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*** From bestselling author and massively popular blogger The Unmumsy Mum comes this hilarious, irreverent and searingly candid compendium of parenting experiences. With entries including D is for Desperation, F is for Fish Fingers, S is for Supermum and V is for Vagina, it's safe to say this is not your average A-Z. This book won't tell you what sort of parent you should (or shouldn't) be; instead, it offers a refreshingly honest account of what being a mum to three young children is really like and the surprising lessons that have been learned along the way. If you feel as though you're not 'measuring up' or are struggling to #cherisheverymoment, Sarah's tales...
'One of the best books I have ever read. More like this please JANE BAILEY' NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1966. Nine-year-old Stephanie has an emotionally absent mum, a limp, and a manipulative friend who walks all over her. But everything changes when Stephanie strikes up a relationship with Mr Man, who always seems pleased to see her. Finally, it seems she has a genuine friend. When Stephanie's friend goes missing in the woods, no one in the neighbourhood appears to know what has happened to her, but someone is lying... 1977. Stephanie has spent her life trying to bury the events of that terrible summer. When a man starts following her on the train home from London, she suspects the ...
Suki and Sosh love their life. Each day they go to work together on their pair of feet, and each night they snuggle together in their sock drawer. But then disaster strikes: Sosh spots that Suki has a hole. Darn it! Sure enough, his warm, woolly wife starts to unravel, until one day Suki is nowhere to be found. The rest of the underwear warn him not to go it alone – no one likes an odd sock. But Sosh swears to find her.
Fresh from rehab, Norwegian PI Varg Veum faces his most complex investigation yet, when a man is found drowned, a young woman disappears, and the case of a missing child is revived. The classic Nordic Noir series continues... 'As searing and gripping as they come' New York Times 'One of my very favourite Scandinavian authors' Ian Rankin 'The Norwegian Chandler' Jo Nesbø ***Now a major TV series starring Trond Espen Seim*** ________________________ PI Varg Veum has returned to duty following a stint in rehab, but his new composure and resolution are soon threatened when a challenging assignment arrives on his desk. A man is found dead in an elite swimming pool and a young woman has gone miss...