Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

No One Would Do What The Lamberts Have Done

No One Would Do What The Lamberts Have Done

Sophie Hannah

You think it will never happen to you: the ring of the bell, the police on the doorstep. First they check you’re who they expected to find at the address. What they say next traps you in a nightmare, and there seems to be no way out. It starts with the words, ‘I’m afraid…’

The House on Buzzards Bay

The House on Buzzards Bay

Dwyer Murphy

When a group of old college friends reunites for a summer vacation at a beach house in coastal Massachusetts, a sudden disappearance and the arrival of a seductive stranger threaten to unearth the darkest secrets of their relationships.

A reunion unravels into a haunting tale of tension and mystery. When a reclusive writer vanishes and eerie disturbances plague the house, the group is forced to confront long-buried secrets, their fragile connections, and the chilling presence lurking beyond the marsh. Set against the backdrop of a once-Spiritualist fishing village, this masterful page-turner explores friendship, life’s mounting responsibilities, and the fragile dreams of youth in the face of adult reality.

Say it Out Loud

Say it Out Loud

Ashley Schumacher

A love letter to Twilight and general millennialism: a couple find together that ‘coming of age’ can happen at any age… and sometimes the stories that helped us in the first becoming can help us in the next.

Can’t Help Faking In Love

Can’t Help Faking In Love

Swati Hegde

Aspiring photographer Harsha Godbole is determined to build her career far from her family’s Bollywood spotlight. But with her cousin’s wedding approaching and her family demanding a date, she strikes a deal with Veer Kannan, the charming, cash-strapped barista from her favorite café. What starts as a fake relationship soon brews real chemistry, as Harsha and Veer discover that love might be the most unexpected thing on the menu.

Male, Unknown

Male, Unknown

C.J Griffiths

Trainee anaesthetist Edie Carter’s repressed childhood trauma resurfaces when an unidentified ICU patient, with her name carved into his body, turns out to be a brutalised convict with ties to her past. As Edie unravels the truth, uncovering betrayal and danger, she must confront buried memories and decide how far she’ll go to protect her secrets.

Cleaner

Cleaner

Jess Shannon

For fans of Sally Rooney. A young woman’s return home spirals into an obsession with cleaning, leading her to a nude gallery and a meeting that will change her life. This bold debut explores loneliness, self-expression, and disillusionment with unflinching depth. Perfect for fans of smart literary fiction like Normal People and Exciting Times.

Don’t Make Me Laugh

Don’t Make Me Laugh

Julia Raeside

Don’t Make Me Laugh deftly balances anger and humor in a story of power, control, and manipulation. It explores gender roles in work and life, the competition imposed on women, and, ultimately, the triumph of fighting back.

A Deadly Affair in the Dales

A Deadly Affair in the Dales

Maria Malone

Meet Sergeant Ali Wren and her trusty companion Officer Police Dog Wilson, a springer spaniel with a nose for trouble, in this first in warm new crime series set in the Yorkshire Dales.

Park Avenue

Park Avenue

Renée Ahdieh

A junior lawyer is drawn into a billion-dollar K-beauty family’s secrets — and must fix their imploding empire before it destroys them all.

Monday to Friday Man

Monday to Friday Man

Alice Peterson

Alice Peterson’s bestselling novel about a woman getting back on the horse after being jilted two weeks before her wedding, now in a stunning new edition.

A Scottish Teashop in Napoli

A Scottish Teashop in Napoli

Jane Lambert

A tender and funny novel that combines the best of Scottish and Italian culture with the joys of female friendship and a cast of characters reminiscent of Jenny Colgan and Sophie Kinsella.

A Sting in Her Tale

A Sting in Her Tale

Mark Ezra

Felicity Jardine, a retired secret agent, is on the point of drowning herself in the river when a baby floats by in a car seat. Rescuing the baby, Felicity finds herself drawn into a web of conspiracy and murder which forces her out of retirement. With the help of two old colleagues she must put herself and those she loves at risk in order to confront the demons of her past.