MESTRA -THE NEW SHORT STORY BY MADELINE MILLER OUT 29 SEPTEMBER

**OVER 3 MILLION COPIES SOLD**

WINNER OF THE ORANGE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION
THE INTERNATIONAL SENSATION
A SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

'Captivating' DONNA TARTT
'A book I could not put down' ANN PATCHETT
'Ravishingly vivid' EMMA DONOGHUE

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles's mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

‘An exciting, sexy, violent Superman version of The Iliad’ GUARDIAN
‘Sexy, dangerous, mystical’ BETTANY HUGHES
'Beautifully descriptive and heart-achingly lyrical' DAILY MAIL

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2021 BOOKER PRIZE AND SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE

A TIMES BEST PAPERBACK 2022, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 2021, OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICK AND BARACK OBAMA SELECTION

'A fine, lyrical novel, impressive in its complex interweaving of the grand and the intimate, of the personal and political' Observer

Landry and Prentiss are two brothers born into slavery, finally freed as the American Civil War draws to its bitter close. Cast into the world without a penny to their names, their only hope is to find work in a society that still views them with nothing but intolerance.

Farmer George Walker and his wife Isabelle are reeling from a loss that has shaken them to their core. After a chance encounter, they agree to employ the brothers on their land, and slowly the tentative bonds of trust begin to blossom between the strangers.

But this sanctuary survives on a knife's edge, and it isn't long before a tragedy causes the inhabitants of the nearby town to turn their suspicion onto these new friendships, with devastating consequences.

'[A] highly accomplished debut' Sunday Times

Readers have been swept away by The Sweetness of Water:

'Such a powerful, magnificent book; I urge you to read it. The comparisons with Colson Whitehead are justified' *****

'A staggering debut and a story that stays with you' *****

'Thought-provoking and moving . . . a gripping and compelling novel that exposes flaws, mixed emotions and imperfect relationships, and yet it holds on with determination and hope. It fully deserves a 5-star rating' *****

'Outstanding . . . A book that deserves widespread recognition and a wide audience' *****

*ELODIE HARPER'S FIRST STANDALONE NOVEL, BOUDICCA'S DAUGHTER, OUT NOW*

The final instalment in Elodie Harper's Sunday Times bestselling Wolf Den Trilogy

A courtesan in Rome. Playing for power. Haunted by her past. Her name is Amara. How will her fortunes fall?

Amara’s journey has taken her far, from a lowly slave in Pompeii’s brothel to a high-powered courtesan in Rome. Yet she is still drawn back to her past. For while Amara is caught up in the political scheming of the Imperial palace, her daughter remains in Pompeii, raised by the only man she ever truly loved. And although she longs for her family, Amara knows they are safest while she is far away.

But the year is AD 79, and Mount Vesuvius is preparing to make itself known...

The Temple of Fortuna is the dramatic final instalment in Elodie Harper’s Sunday Times-bestselling Wolf Den trilogy, which reimagines the lives of women who have long been overlooked.

Praise for the Wolf Den Trilogy:

'Captivating' Jennifer Saint
'Vibrant and thrilling' Observer
'Beautiful' Susan Stokes-Chapman
‘Richly imagined' Louise O'Neill
'Spell-binding' Anna Mazzola
'One-of-a-kind' Red Magazine
'Triumphant' Luna McNamara

'Lyrical and profound, delving into the depths of human connection. You will cry.'
GLAMOUR

'Impressive . . . it gripped my heart and imagination.'
JO BROWNING WROE

'Intriguing . . . there is also significant charm and energy.'
GUARDIAN

'Compulsive, electrifying.'
SPECTATOR

One man, one choice, two lifetimes.

WATERSTONES AND FOYLES BOOK OF THE MONTH FOR SEPTEMBER 2026
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION 2025
SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL WRITING AWARD FOR FICTION 2026
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WINSTON GRAHAM PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2026
LONGLISTED FOR SCOTLAND'S NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2026
LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2026
A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK
A BEST FICTION BOOK OF 2025 FOR THE GUARDIAN, THE OBSERVER, THE HERALD AND THE BBC

'Crackles with creative rebellion' DOUGLAS STUART
'immersive, intelligent, immensely sensual' ELIF SHAFAK
'A tender and evocative act of resurrection' JAMES CAHILL, SPECTATOR
'The greatest and truest story of two male lovers I have ever read' RUSSELL T DAVIES
'Deeply affecting . . . vivid and moving' PETER PARKER, THE TIMES

He will stay like this forever, Robert's arm draped round him. They will be forever twenty.

Scotland, 1933. Bobby MacBryde is off to the Glasgow School of Art. On his first day he will meet another Robert, a quiet man with loose dark curls - and never leave his side. With the world on the brink of war, their unrivalled talent takes them all over Europe, partying, loving, fighting, painting. The pair become stars as the bombs fall in this stunningly re-imagined true story of devotion and obsession, art and class.

Shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut prize
'Beautifully written' Michelle Paver
'I devoured this' Rebecca Netley
'A rare gem of gothic literature' A. M. Shine

At a Scottish manor house requisitioned as a temporary hospital during the First World War, Esther works as a volunteer nurse while dreaming of becoming a poet. With her husband and beloved father both dead, she knows that if the war ever ends she must build a very different life for herself.

Meanwhile, on the coast beyond her new home lies Gallondean Castle, a gloomy near-ruin that has been unhappily inherited by Jacob. Jacob is already haunted by his own demons but as he uncovers details of the castle's past, the shadows only seem to be growing darker around him.

However it is Daniel, one of the soldiers who appears to have received only a minor, yet mysterious, injury, whose life will come to connect with both Esther and Jacob in horrifying and unexpected ways...

Unsettling and evocative, deeply atmospheric and brilliantly engaging, The Unrecovered is an unforgettable historical debut inspired by a real life legend and marks the arrival of an outstanding new talent.

A SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF 2023

'A superb writer' EMMA STONEX

'Stylish and raw' ANNE ENRIGHT

'Mesmerising and beautiful' DAILY EXPRESS

'Gripping and visceral ' IRISH EXAMINER

'A powerful, riveting read ' ELIZABETH MACNEAL

'Astonishingly absorbing' i PAPER

'That's a good thing about you, Martha. You keep secrets . . .'

East Anglia, 1645. Martha Hallybread, a midwife, healer and servant , is a trusted figure in her beloved coastal village of Cleftwater - even though no one has ever heard her speak.

One day, the peaceful atmosphere is disrupted by the arrival of a witch-hunter, and suspicion threatens to tear the community apart. When Martha is drawn into the search, she finds herself torn between protecting herself or her friends. As the tide of suspicion builds and events hurtle towards a terrible reckoning, Martha's silence is a choice that could cost her everything.

'Stylish and raw . . . seizes the reader's sympathy and does not let go'
Anne Enright, Booker Prize-winning author of The Gathering

East Anglia, 1645. Martha Hallybread, a midwife, healer and servant, has lived for more than four decades in her beloved coastal village of Cleftwater. Everyone knows Martha, but no one has ever heard her speak.

One Autumn morning, the peaceful atmosphere of Cleftwater is shattered by a sinister arrival and Martha becomes a silent witness to a witch-hunt. As a trusted member of the community, she is enlisted to search the bodies of the accused women. But whilst Martha wants to help her friends, she also harbours a dark secret that could cost her own freedom. In desperation, she revives a wax witching doll that she inherited from her mother, in the hope that it will bring protection. But the doll's true powers are unknowable, the tide is turning, and time is running out . . .

An immersive and deeply moving novel inspired by true events, The Witching Tide breathes new life into history whilst holding up a mirror to the world we live in now. A story of loyalty and betrayal, fear and obsession, the impact of misogyny and the power of resistance, it is a magnificent debut from a striking new literary voice.

'Utterly haunting and entirely riveting . . . sent shivers down my spine and brought me to tears'
Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne

'A superb writer . . . I loved it'
Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

The extraordinary retelling of one of the greatest Greek myths told through the women of the Trojan war - from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Silence of the Girls. Perfect for fans of The Odyssey and Madeline Miller's Circe and Song of Achilles.

'Myth for a MeToo age. Pat Barker returns to Homer in this gory but unexpectedly uplifting novel' Sunday Times

Troy has fallen. The Greeks have won their bitter war. They can return home as victors - all they need is a good wind to lift their sails. But the wind has vanished, the seas becalmed by vengeful gods, and so the warriors remain in limbo - camped in the shadow of the city they destroyed, kept company by the women they stole from it.

The women of Troy.

Helen - poor Helen. All that beauty, all that grace - and she was just a mouldy old bone for feral dogs to fight over.

Cassandra, who has learned not to be too attached to her own prophecies. They have only ever been believed when she can get a man to deliver them.

Stubborn Amina, with her gaze still fixed on the ruined towers of Troy, determined to avenge the slaughter of her king.

Hecuba, howling and clawing her cheeks on the silent shore, as if she could make her cries heard in the gloomy halls of Hades. As if she could wake the dead.

And Briseis, carrying her future in her womb: the unborn child of the dead hero Achilles. Once again caught up in the disputes of violent men. Once again faced with the chance to shape history.

Masterful and enduringly resonant, ambitious and intimate, The Women of Troy continues Pat Barker's extraordinary retelling of one of our greatest classical myths, following on from the critically acclaimed The Silence of the Girls.

'Readers turn to Barker's novels for their plain truths and clear-eyed sense of our history and creation stories. But the sombre clarity of her writing is offset by a luminous wisdom' Sunday Times

'The Women Of Troy's immediate beauty is its accessibility and Barker's precise, elegant writing' Metro

'Barker has always looked on the world with the combination of a cold eye and a sympathetic understanding. Her characterisation is sharp, her sympathy deep' ipaper

THE TIMES BOOK OF THE MONTH | SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD | THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD

The Words in My Hand is the reimagined true story of Helena Jans, a Dutch maid in 17th century Amsterdam working for an English bookseller. One day a mysterious and reclusive lodger arrives - the Monsieur - who turns out to be René Descartes.

At first encounter the maid and the philosopher seem to have little in common, yet Helena yearns for knowledge and literacy - wanting to write so badly that she uses beetroot for ink and her body as paper.

And the philosopher, for all his learning, finds that it is Helena who reveals the surprise in the everyday world that surrounds him, as gradually their relationship deepens in a surprising story of love and learning.

'Excellent . . . an entirely unsentimental love story with a memorable and engaging heroine. Clever and touching' The Times
'An accomplished first novel . . . Glasfurd brilliantly dissects the complex frustrations of a woman in love with a man consumed by intellectual obsessions. There is much to move us here' Guardian

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And Guinevere Glasfurd's new novel The Year Without Summer, the story of a world changed by one cataclysmic event, is out now.