General & Literary Fiction

by Ken Follett — A sweeping, epic tale of daily life, tribal hardships and struggles, and of the building of ...

For many lovers of the novel, Victorian fiction represents the apogee of English literature and the noble art of storytelling ...

Hailed as a leading writer of Golden Age crime fiction, J.S. Fletcher was, rather, a Victorian-style writer and detective fiction ...

by Alison Goodman — A daring, witty and gritty Regency adventure with wonderfully independent female protagonists ...

by Meryem El Mehdati — Portrays the grim reality of young workers in dead-end jobs. Bleak yet engaging, it feels ...

by Kate Foster — Captures universal aspects of the human condition, illustrated through a unique story ...

by Carole Hailey — Whether you want a fascinating primer on the psychopathic mind or just a cracking good whydunnit ...

by Lora Jones — A captivating and atmospheric blend of historical fiction and gothic mystery set during the French Revolution ...

by Katherine Mezzacappa — The Ballad of Mary Kearney unfolds like a song, to tell a stirring tale of forbidden ...

by Julia Raeside — Shines a Me Too searchlight on the comedy circuit. The nice guy is the usual toxic ...

by Elaine Garvey — The Wardrobe Department is a beautiful, quietly resonant read with emotional depth and atmospheric writing. Garvey ...

by Kate Greathead — Presents the story of a modern-day Oblomov, a feckless, endearing and infuriating man who never quite ...

by Emilia Hart — Magical realism meets historical fiction in The Sirens. Two sets of sisters, women in distress and ...

by Virginia Feito — Violent gothic horror. A psychopathic governess in a Victorian household descends into a psychotic rampage. Weird, ...

by Philip Gray — A gripping tale of forgery, set in Belgium in the mid 20th century. Well written, infused ...

by Faith Martin — Murder by Candlelight and The Last Word is Death are the first two novels in a ...

by Grady Hendrix — A horror story, of subjugated children, pregnancy and forced adoption, witchcraft and a pact with the ...

by Cecilia Ahern — A doctor, Enya Pickering, gets caught up in a hit and run incident on a remote ...

by Katherine Mezzacappa — A beautifully written historical novel based on true events in 16thC Italy and a profoundly moving ...

by Christopher Bollen — Incisive social satire featuring wealthy guests and a terrifying 8 year-old kid in a Luxor hotel ...

by Maybelle Wallis — Gripping, atmospheric historical fiction in the sensationalist tradition. Forbidden love amidst evil and murder ...

by Jenni Keer — An atmospheric gothic tale oozing with mystery, madness, secrets, lust, murder and a touch of magic ...

by Tracy Chevalier — A multiple-timeline novel about the history of Murano glassmaking, following Orsola Rosso from 1486 to now ...

Immersive story, set in the 17th century and the present, about female defiance of patriarchal control ...

by Chloe Turner — Immersive story about a textile worker, set in 17th century Gloucestershire. Blue Hawk celebrates female tenacity ...

by Roddy Doyle — An ex-alcoholic mother and a traumatised daughter during lockdown. Superb, understated writing ...

by A.A. Milne — The Red House Mystery has it all; the country house, the witty dialogue, the tight plotting, ...

by Catherine Gray — A superb novel. Beautifully written, highly insightful. Do we become who we are because of our ...

by Simon Van Booy — Sipsworth is a gentle, beautifully written meditation on love, aging and connection. And a mouse ...

by Elin F. Styve — A moving story of family dysfunction, hypocrisy and a woman seeking the connection of family ...

by Nilesha Chauvet — Rita Marsh is not in a good place. The last paedophile she exposed committed suicide soon ...

by Bridget Collins — Gothic, historical fantasy. The Silence Factory is an imaginative, immersive and spellbinding story. I was thoroughly ...

by Roz Dineen — Conveys an aching sadness for a lost world, and the exhaustion of daily struggling in a ...

by Fiona McPhillips — When We Were Silent is a raging, screaming #MeToo. It's also very well written: well constructed ...

by Rose Ruane — Birding is an immersive novel about women's lives, consent and about how acknowledging and verbalising abuse ...

by Stacey Halls — A mystery and fictionalised account of the setup, by Charles Dickens and a wealthy heiress, of ...

by Anna Mazzola — We are plunged into 17th century Rome, where women strive to survive in a patriarchal world ...

by Holly Gramazio — What if you could order an unending list of husbands (and lifestyles) to choose from? An ...

by Kaliane Bradley — Secret government mission involving a myopic civil servant, time travellers and a plot to save our ...

by Hannah Dolby — Meet the most delightful detective ever written, Violet Hamilton, in No Life for a Lady and ...

by Ajay Close — A beautifully written, gripping and immersive, and still very relevant historical novel about misogyny and activism ...

by C.S. Robertson — Murder in a small community. Robertson does it again, with another great female character, Marjorie Crowe ...

by C.S. Robertson — Grace is a death scene cleaner. A well written, character-driven, immersive crime read. I loved it ...

by Tana French — Another episode of American ex-cop Cal Hooper in rural Ireland. Intelligent, insightful and well written. French ...

by Alexia Casale — The Best Way to Bury Your Husband is, surprisingly, a very moving AND uplifting AND very ...

by Jennie Godfrey — A child tries to track the Yorkshire Ripper. Immersive and multilayered ...

by Cory Doctorow — Is the world a lost cause? We should be screaming a warning from the rooftops. I ...

by Ann Patchett — Tom Lake is a nice book, very pleasant to read, not particularly challenging but beautifully written ...

by Anne Enright — Not a narrative of grand events but an exploration of the intricate threads that bind couples ...

by Louise Doughty — A Bird in Winter is beautifully written, well paced, at times exciting, at times more reflective ...

by Julie Mae Cohen — Bad Men is sharp and fast and clever and very funny. You'll love it. (Maybe ...

by Sarah Hilary — A tense and claustrophobic mystery. An incisive look into family life and loyalties, ambition, criminal negligence, ...

by Emily Perkins — Therese questions herself and her life, and feels the urge to break out, smash everything and ...

by Una Mannion — Portrays coercive control and domestic violence. Highlights the difficulties facing victims' families and the lack of ...

by Alison Goodman — When the days are dull and lifeless, you need The Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies. Thrilling, moving, ...

by Rachel Harrison — Rage, trauma, resilience and transformation. Women finding strength and learning to face the world without (or ...

by Fran Hill — A quiet domestic drama set in 1970s Britain. Moving and well written. A wealth of domestic ...

by Kate Griffin — A taut and dark gothic tale. Marta is sent to be a governess at Fyneshade, where ...

by Natasha Calder — A good premise (a world where antibiotics don't work anymore) marred by overblown prose, lack of ...

by Claire Fuller — A group of young people are trapped in hospital during a pandemic that wipes through the ...

by Marijke Schermer — A moving, painful exploration of traumatic memories of sexual violence. Beautifully written (and translated) in stark, ...

by Emilia Hart — Three women, three time periods, and always the same old shit of male coercion and violence ...

by Carole Hailey — A gripping feminist novel of ideas about cults, power politics, female empowerment and utilitarianism: does the ...

by Jackie West — A bit of low fantasy, a bit of crime mystery, a lot of entertaining characters and ...

by India Knight — A clever and up-to-date retelling of the classic The Pursuit of Love. It's an absolute joy ...

by Noel O'Reilly — Gripping and exciting gothic novel. A wayward young woman is locked up in a Victorian asylum ...

by Joanna Quinn — One of the best novels of 2022. An engrossing, moving saga following the lives of an ...

by Michael Rogers — A compelling and thought-provoking speculative novel set in a future where things ARE better, where people ...

by Tessa Hadley — An incisive novel about a 1960s housewife who throws up her life to become a hippy, ...

by Annabel Abbs — Vivid, beautifully written novel about a wonderful 19th century cook, Eliza Acton, with characters and scenes ...

by Richard Osman — Residents in a retirement community are back, solving murder again. More fun, plot twists and witty ...

by Michael Ward — Politics religion, murder and mayhem are back in this pacey historical mystery set in London in ...

by Caroline O'Donoghue — A clever, perceptive, well written and very readable novel about Ireland, history, lies and stories ...

by Susannah Wise — A dystopian novel and an implicit plea to take care of our precious, fragile planet. We'll ...

by Camilla Bruce — There's no excuse for being a serial killer... Or is there? Superbly written, captivating and vivid ...

by Luke Kennard — A harsh look at modern, middle class people doing what people have been doing forever: cheating ...

by Kevin Power — Moving and well written story of family dysfunction, the corruption of wealth and a life shattered ...

by Katherine Heiny — Shines with intelligence and warmth. Beautifully written exploration of love, marriage and the meaning of fidelity ...

by Stella Duffy — A rich, engrossing novel about women's lives, abusive relationships, lifelong trauma, and speaking out ...

by Michael Ward — Politics, religion, commerce and science collide in this intriguing, fast-paced historical mystery set in London in ...

by Belinda Bauer — Unusual, well plotted and well written British crime; a highly readable/page turner that's intriguing and funny ...

by Alain de Botton — The love story of a fictional couple serves as an argument for enlightened romantic pessimism: ...

by Sarah Burton — A wonderfully written, bawdy, vivid, thrilling romp set to a backdrop of plague, fire, brothels and ...

by Anthony Horowitz — Moonflower Murders is a marvelous, intriguing, page-turning, fun puzzle that's fiendishly complex yet very readable ...

by Daniel Defoe — An intimate, readable, day-to-day account of life in London during the plague of 1665, remarkably similar ...

by Jessica Ryn — Plenty of sugarcoating in this feelgood novel about the homeless, junkies, alcoholics and people with mental ...

by John Galsworthy — An incisive depiction of the decline of the Victorian era and the rise of the Modern ...

by Rosamund Lupton — A school is under siege by gunmen for three hours on a snowy morning. A tense, ...

by Roddy Doyle — Love between friends, between parents and children, between spouses. And that weird, unreliable, deceptive kind of ...

by Emma Kennedy — Parents, if they love you, will never fully reveal the past. No matter how much you ...

Best known for her sensationalist novels, Mary Elizabeth Braddon (née Maxwell) published more than 80 wonderful novels between1860 and 1910 ...

by Christina Baker Kline — A well-written, well-researched and gripping story about female convicts shipped to Australia in the mid ...

by Carys Bray — The impact of climate change on one family: constant rain, unemployment and the stress of trying ...

by Grainne Murphy — a very readable and moving novel about people handling the intense emotional experience of a rescue ...

by Richard Osman — Residents in a retirement community get together to use their not-forgotten skills to solve a murder ...

by Andrew O'Hagan — A story of male friendship, youth, mortality, music, Margaret Thatcher and other weighty matters ...

by Colleen McCullough — Life on a big Australian farm in the early 20th century and an engaging love story ...

by Antonia Hodgson — A voyeuristic trip to the Marshalsea Prison in the 19th century. With murder and intrigue, well ...

by Donna Tartt — The Vox called it: "a hollow, thematically empty book filled with hollow, psychologically empty characters"... I ...

by Lionel Shriver — An intelligent, beautifully written and brutally observed dystopian novel about an economic crash and the effect ...

by Trenton Lee Stewart — A clever book for and about clever kids. Enjoyable for adults too. Uncondescending, imaginative, fast-paced ...

by Scott Bartlett — A novel of ideas including climate change, multiverses, freedom, family ties and family responsibility, artificial intelligence ...

by Graham Norton — Tragedy and mystery in an Irish village. A strong plot, bursts of humour and interesting, well ...

by Lionel Shriver — A clever, thought-provoking novel about fat and dieting and about whether adults should feel or take ...

by Georgette Heyer — A dysfunctional family of mostly unlikeable people. When one of them is finally bumped off, everyone ...

by Karen Joy Fowler — A tremendous, unforgettable, beautifully written and funny book about family and grief that delivers a ...

by Jeffrey Eugenides — A novel for lovers of the classic great English novel, and for lovers. A story on ...

by Anne Enright — Sublime novel about family, siblings, past trauma and grief, and how the bereaved struggle to make ...

by Diane Setterfield — The Thirteenth Tale is mesmerizing, creepy and clever. A welcome mix of a page-turning, gripping read ...

by Clare Dowling — A portrait of a woman contemplating her life, values and self-image, and realising her own responsibility ...