Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

My Brilliant AI Boyfriend

My Brilliant AI Boyfriend

Stella Hayward

In this deliciously funny romance, a scientist’s quiet world is completely turned upside-down when the AI programme she has designed creates a human body for himself – just to ask her out on a date.

We Search the Island for Grace

We Search the Island for Grace

Bonnie Burke-Patel

The new literary crime novel by Gold Dagger-shortlisted Burke-Patel is an atmospheric homage to Agatha Christie.

Well, This Is Awkward

Well, This Is Awkward

Esther Walker

Mairéad, a child-free talent agency head, has her orderly life upended when her estranged sister’s daughter comes to stay after a mysterious accident. What begins as a temporary arrangement soon throws everything into question.

World’s Edge

World’s Edge

James Sallis

James Sallis’ World’s Edge presents five masterful novellas exploring fractured societies, human resilience, and the fragile intersections of morality and survival. Sallis’s prose, as sharp as it is evocative, captures the nuances of his dystopian and near-future settings, resonating with themes of dislocation and identity. Widely regarded as a pivotal voice in contemporary US fiction, Sallis’ stories draw readers into a world both intimate and unyielding, where existential questions lurk beneath stark, elegant narratives.

The Interpreter’s Secret

The Interpreter’s Secret

Andrew Rosenheim

A tense and elegant literary thriller about power, peril, and the truths politicians dare not speak. A State Department interpreter witnesses a secret pact between Washington and Moscow and flees to England, only to find himself hunted on all sides. With nothing but a cryptic red-ink note as proof, he must expose a conspiracy that threatens global stability.

Mrs Plansky Goes Rogue

Mrs Plansky Goes Rogue

Spencer Quinn

The irresistible and unforgettable Mrs. Plansky goes rogue in another whirlwind adventure from bestselling author Spencer Quinn.

Maria La Divina

Maria La Divina

Jerome Charyn

A dazzling portrait of Maria Callas—La Divina—whose voice, passion, and defiance transformed opera and fame, but left her tragically alone in the end.

Dead as Gold

Dead as Gold

Bonnie Burke-Patel

A guilt-riddled goldsmith works by the shore. A splintering writer returns to capture the fairy tales of the town where she spent her childhood summers. A body floats on the tide. The second novel by critically-acclaimed Bonnie Burke-Patel.

The Last Secret of Wickham Grange

The Last Secret of Wickham Grange

Zoe Manlow

An acutely observed and atmospheric novel about family, love and courage over the generations, and how women can come through terrible adversity to discover their true selves in the most unexpected ways, for readers of Kate Morton and Lucinda Riley.

After Darcy

After Darcy

Joanna Nadin

What happens when you lose everyone’s favourite leading man? A contemporary sequel to Pride & Prejudice, in the 21st century and 20 years after the original ends.

La Maison

La Maison

Emma Becker

In this semi-autobiographical novel, La Maison, Emma Becker recounts her two years working in a Berlin brothel, seeking both income and literary inspiration. With frankness and emotional depth, she explores not only her sexual encounters but the bonds, routines, and quiet strength shared among the women who work there. Blending memoir and fiction, Becker challenges stereotypes about sex work and offers a bold, compassionate look at desire, agency, and female solidarity.

The Motion of Puppets

The Motion of Puppets

Keith Donohue

In the Old City of Québec, acrobat Kay Harper vanishes after entering a mysterious toy shop. Unbeknownst to her husband Theo, she has been transformed into a puppet, trapped among others who come alive only at night. As Theo searches the streets, Kay must hope he can see through magic and recognise her before it’s too late.