The most expensive diamond necklace in the world is stolen during a high-profile charity gala in London. Jemima Fox-Pearl, Head of PR at fine jewellery house Vogel, travels between London, South Africa and New York in a bid to solve the crime, while unravelling a century-old mystery of the Cullinan Diamond's fabled missing part. With love, intrigue, danger and disaster, The Diamond Connection is an enthralling read while Jemima is an exciting new heroine who readers will immediately love.

The Diamond Connection: A Jemima Fox Mystery

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Goodbody, Josie

Mystery

Heddon Publishing

The Velvet Turnshoe: A Hildegard of Meaux Mystery

Clark, Cassandra

On July 7th 2005, London is high on the success of winning the 2012 Olympics bid. The celebrations come to an abrupt end when terrorists attack the city's transport network, striking Underground trains and a bus during the morning rush hour.   At the other side of the country, in comparatively peaceful, beautiful Cornwall, aspiring journalist Jamie Calder finds her own life directly affected by the bombs. Her partner Dave vanishes in London at the same time the attacks take place. The initial impact of that terrible day is followed by a slow but sure falling apart of the life Jamie believed was settled and secure. As well as Dave's mysterious disappearance, she finds she has to face a betrayal by her best friend, and the prospect of losing her job. Meanwhile, a gang of teenagers is wreaking havoc in the town that Jamie loves, culminating in a brutal attack on an elderly lady and adding to Jamie's inner turmoil. The following months hold a number of challenges for Jamie, demonstrating that life does not always run to plan and that things are not always as they may first seem. Only time will tell whether this is necessarily a bad thing.  Writing the Town Read is full of intrigue, angst, excitement and humour. The evocative descriptions and convincing narrative voice instantly draw readers into Jamie's life as they experience her disappointments, emotions and triumphs alongside her. The story focuses strongly on characters and their relationships. Jamie, while believing herself wronged by so many, also finds she has much to learn about life, particularly when it comes to her strong principles and idealistic ways.  Writing the Town Read was inspired by a number of factors, including the beauty of Cornwall, the effects of terrorism, local newspapers, and some of the social issues of the 21st century. It has received excellent reader reviews on Amazon and other book review sites, such Author Alliance and Goodreads. It may appeal primarily to a female readership but it has also received numerous positive reviews from male readers.  Author Katharine E. Smith lives in Shropshire with her family but has spent a great deal of time in Cornwall and much of the story was written there. Katharine has a degree in Philosophy from the University of Hull, and worked for a number of years in the charity and ICT sectors. She now runs a small publishing company and looks after her two young children. Writing the Town Read is her first novel.

Writing the Town Read

Literature & Fiction

Smith, Katharine E.

Literary

"Without offering coping mechanisms or advice, this is ultimately an uplifting story about being true to yourself and becoming a mother on your own terms." Today's Child Magazine  Sarah Marchley is eleven years old when her mother dies. Completely unprepared and suffering an acute sense of loss, she and her father continue quietly, trying to live by the well-intentioned advice of friends, hoping that time really is a great healer and that they will, eventually, move on.   Life changes very little until Sarah leaves for university and begins her first serious relationship. Along with her new boyfriend comes his mother, the indomitable Hazel Poole. Despite some misgivings, Sarah finds herself drawn into the matriarchal Poole family and discovers that gaining a mother figure in her life brings mixed blessings.   A mother-in-law who just can't let her sons grow up, a midwife who treats her charges like girls in a private school dormitory. These are some of the people who Sarah must deal with as her own pregnancy turns to motherhood and she realises that she must find her own two feet.  Looking Past is a tale of family, friendship, love, life and death – not necessarily in that order.  This is the second novel from Katharine E. Smith, author of Writing the Town Read. The narrator’s voice is clear and strong, with vivid descriptions and intelligent observations. Readers will quickly empathise with Sarah, whose grief and confusion at the loss of her mother at key moments in her life is contrasted with a dry and sometimes subtle humour derived from situations and characters which help colour the book. The father-daughter relationship which develops between the bereaved husband and daughter feels very real, as both come to terms with their grief and learn how best to live together. Sarah's father is unassuming and appealing, as he struggles to find a way to deal with his broken heart and support his daughter throughout school, puberty and on into adulthood.  Smith's readers have praised her honesty, realism, warmth and humour. Both Looking Past and Writing the Town Read - Katharine's first novel - are written from a strong female first person perspective. However, don't be fooled into thinking this is chick lit - or indeed exclusively women's fiction. Looking Past has received praise from a number of male readers, including an ex-US Marine. You don't get much more macho than that! Nevertheless, this is a story guaranteed to strike a chord with mothers, daughters - and daughters-in-law - everywhere.   The dual settings of Yorkshire and Cornwall will interest people with strong links to those places but the characters and events hold universal appeal.  This is a book for people who like people.  Looking Past was selected for the People's Book Prize Winter 2015 Collection.

Looking Past

No Picnic for Sam

Shaw, Roderick

Genre Fiction

It is spring 1915. Araksi, a 19-year-old Armenian, and her family, living in Erzurum near the Turkey-Russia border, are yet to feel the effects of the First World War. In fact, life seems settled and safe. The family are well off and highly respected in their community. Araksi is happily employed as a teacher and is engaged to be married to impetuous young lawyer Diran. A new German Consul arrives in the shape of young, ambitious Max von Swirsden-Righe - a lieutenant in the German army. Whilst his wife waits faithfully in Munich for his return, Max engages in a dangerous mission to take his troops across the mountains of northwest Persia in order to push back Russian troops. Araksi and the German Consul is the tale of how these two very different characters find their lives entwined amidst the dark days of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey and leading up to the rise of National Socialism in Germany. This is a strong, moving and engaging tale rooted deeply in the real events of history. It is a thought-provoking account of how the future can be shaped by the effect of events on the individuals involved and how history tragically repeats itself.

Araksi and the German Consul

Saenz, Carlos Jose

Little White Lies

Burns, Carol

Thrillers & Suspense

All Desires Known... And from whom no secrets are hid. (from the collect before Communion in the 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer.) Lay out your classic English village in a little bowl-shaped valley: you'll need a church, village hall, couple of farms, row of council houses, old rectory, and a river. Take the following ingredients: One disaffected vicar One vicar's wife, rural-life-fantasist A jobbing gardener and log man The gardener's mother (who happens to be the vicar's ex) The gardener's sisters: one young and bright, one a recovering addict and single mum The vicar's mother: a frail but wise old bird One actor-falling-on-hard-times (who once dated the vicar's wife) One village church A bitter church warden Pour all of the above into the village and stir. All Desires Known is a story about country life. Not chocolate-box-perfect with roses round the door, this is chick-lit for grown-ups, and the first in a series to be set in and around the villages strung along the fictional river Hindle.

All Desires Known

Newbery, Georgie

Parenting & Relationships

In 1958 at the age of fourteen, Celia de Verteuil left her French Creole family and home in Trinidad. Having been diagnosed with schizophrenia, Celia was destined for the United Kingdom, to receive treatment and care for her illness. Celia lived the rest of her life in the UK and never saw Trinidad again. Following Celia's death in 2013, her sister Claudia - who, after coming to live in the UK herself, became Celia's confidante and companion - has undertaken to document Celia's life, with help from correspondence between Celia and other family members. Also to understand Celia's situation, her illness, and the system which Celia entered at the age of fourteen and in which she lived the rest of her life. Paradise Plums and Cocoa Beans is an honest and moving account of a young woman's separation from her family and the place she called home - and the effect of this not only on her but on those who loved her. It tackles a very difficult subject which is still often undervalued and misunderstood.

Paradise Plums and Cocoa Beans: Schizophrenia and Celia's Longing for Home

de Verteuil, Claudia

Anna and Mike have a plan, to escape her abusive husband. Lee has his own plan, to stop his wife and so-called best friend for good. Who will succeed, and how has a lifelong friendship come to this?The three friends meet in early childhood, coming of age together and supporting each other through problems at school and in family life.Everything changes when Lee and Anna decide to marry. While Mike swaps urban England for rural Spain, Anna finds herself trapped in an abusive marriage, with nowhere to turn.When he discovers his friends' relationship is far from happy, Mike is compelled to return to Bristol, to a life he thought he'd left behind.He must rebuild the friendship, convince Anna that he can help her find a way out, and make sure that Lee knows nothing of what is going on. With his volatile temper and strong sense of pride, a vengeful Lee is unlikely to allow himself to be made a fool of without a fight.Amongst Friends is the third novel by Katharine E. Smith. It turns traditional story-telling on its head, beginning with the dramatic end to the friendship and gradually unveiling what has happened for things to have gone so wrong.If you like contemporary, psychological fiction, strong characters, and a twist of mystery and intrigue, you won't want to put this book down.Pick up a copy of Amongst Friends today and discover an exciting, original new voice in British fiction.

Amongst Friends

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