Una
Murder mysteries have long been considered one of the most absorbing forms of fiction. As we round off another week of the weary unknown, what could be more comforting than sinking into the respite of a gripping world where problems are always solved? Andrea Carter’s Inishowen mysteries take place in a vividly described tiny Irish town, with nosy neighbours, twitching curtains, and page-turning intrigue.
After Dublin solicitor Benedicta ‘Ben’ O’Keeffe’s sister dies at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, she moves to the remote Inishowen Peninsula in an attempt to escape her guilt and grief. Plagued by guilt over her sister’s death, she is drawn to prevent injustice wherever she sees it, which often leads her to overstep the mark, especially in the eyes of the local police. But, over the years, she and Sergeant Tom Molloy become close as Ben confides in him about her past. And, for the most part, they work as allies to solve the mysteries that the town throws up.
Each book features a different mystery, while Ben’s personal story, her struggle to come to terms with the secrets of her past and a will-they-won’t-they romance with Molloy continue throughout the series.
In the latest instalment The Body Falls, published last month, Ben returns to Inishowen after a six-month stint working abroad. Shortly after, sudden torrential rain and flooding means all bridges and roads into the town are closed, leaving Inishowen completely isolated. When a body is found in the middle of the night, Inishowen’s residents know that a killer is trapped among them.
Praise for the Inishowen mysteries:
‘Her best yet… Andrea conjures up a phenomenal sense of place. She is such an assured, stylish writer and The Body Falls is remarkably gripping.’
– Jo Spain
‘Starting a new Inishowen novel is like settling in for a gossip with a really good friend. Ben O’Keeffe is a totally engaging main character and her adventures are as convincing as they are gripping. The Body Falls is a hugely entertaining small-town mystery with a very satisfying resolution; I can’t wait to read the next in the series.’
– Jane Casey
‘Haunting, atmospheric, and gripping. One of the finest Irish mystery debuts of recent years. Tana French has some serious competition.’
– John Connolly
‘Carter excels in re-creating the cloistered, gossipy confines of a small Irish village… The Inishowen peninsula community where everybody knows everybody else’s business is a fine stand-in for the mannered drawing room society of a Christie mystery.’
– The Sunday Times
We are thrilled that Tea Uglow’s Loud and Proud is published today in the UK by Quarto Knows. Loud and Proud is an inspirational collection of speeches from the LGBTQ+ community and its allies that have changed our world, and the conversation. From equal marriage to gender definitions, bullying to parenthood, the issues covered in these speeches touch on all aspects of LGBTQ+ and reflect the diverse and multi-faceted nature of this community.
A glorious and deeply powerful book, which places the voices of the vibrant LGBTQ+ community centre stage.
Joanna Bolouri’s new title All I Want For Christmas will be sold by Vigmostad & Bjørke in Norway, following a competitive auction.
Rights have already sold to France, Denmark, Sweden and Germany. All I Want For Christmas is due out at the end of this year in the UK. We can’t wait!
Our next instalment of the Lockdown List is designed for guaranteed belly laughs. Joanna Bolouri’s riotously funny romantic fiction is certain to distract you from the bad news cycle. Grab a quaran-tini and settle in for a well-earned dose of escapism.
Since Phoebe Henderson found her boyfriend in bed with another woman, she’s been in a love slump. Faced with another year of falling asleep in front of the TV, Phoebe concocts a bucket list for between the sheets, determined to tick everything off before the year ends. But with her meddlesome friends, frisky colleagues, and will-they-won’t-they relationship with her gorgeous best friend Oliver, Phoebe quickly finds her plan derailing. Irreverent and warm, The List will leave you crying with laughter.
Whipped through The List and looking for more? Pick up Phoebe and Oliver a few years later in Relight My Fire or delve into I Followed The Rules in which, following her editor’s instructions, cynical dating columnist Cat reluctantly follows the rules from a book that promises to help you snag the man of your dreams in ten easy steps. What is it, 1892? But Cat’s on a deadline to find true love by the book, with hysterical results.
If you’re finding yourself feeling listless in the vast hours between your One Walk A Day and family FaceTime, then we have the perfect fiction titles to find solace in.
Alice O’Keeffe’s On The Up brilliantly describes the frustration of isolation, albeit of a different kind. Sylvia lives in a flat on a council estate with her not-quite-husband Obe and their two young children. In a haze of sleep deprivation, she struggles to stay sane as her neighbour blasts ever louder RnB, and bills continue to land on the doormat. But when the estate is earmarked for redevelopment, the threat to her community gives Sylvia a renewed sense of purpose. Described as ‘an uplifting book about persevering through the tough times’, what could be more relevant today?
Yelpingly funny, Create Your Own Midlife Crisis by Marie Phillips also depicts the experience of losing your sh*t. This book will allow you do what you can’t in real life: cast your whining husband aside, drop the home-schooling textbooks and run off to Brazil to take ayahuasca with a shaman. In this compulsively readable book-as-game you can live out a thousand lives without leaving your sofa. Perfect for right now.
Delighted that Joanna Bolouri’s new book All I Want For Christmas, due out at the end of this year in the UK, has already sold in both Germany and Sweden based on a partial manuscript. Congratulations, Jo!
Huge congratulations to Andrea Carter, whose hotly anticipated The Body Falls hits the shelves today! Published by Little, Brown in the UK, The Body Falls picks up as Ben O’Keeffe returns to Inishowen after a six-month stint working abroad. Shortly after, sudden torrential rain and flooding means all bridges and roads into the town are closed, leaving Inishowen completely isolated. When a body is found in the middle of the night, Inishowen’s residents know that a killer is trapped among them.
Below, we’ve included a selection of the superb reviews that The Body Falls has already stacked up.
‘Her best yet… Andrea conjures up a phenomenal sense of place. She is such an assured, stylish writer and The Body Falls is remarkably gripping.’
– Jo Spain
‘Tense, atmospheric – it grips the reader ever tighter as the mystery deepens.’
– Brian McGilloway
‘Starting a new Inishowen novel is like settling in for a gossip with a really good friend. Ben O’Keeffe is a totally engaging main character and her adventures are as convincing as they are gripping. The Body Falls is a hugely entertaining small-town mystery with a very satisfying resolution; I can’t wait to read the next in the series.’
– Jane Casey
Louisa Hall’s kaleidoscopic novel about Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, has been released in France.
Elle France reviewed the translated work, describing Trinity as ‘intelligent and brimming with ideas (…) the pleasure of reading this novel is heightened by its profundity.’
Older But Better, But Older, the new offering from Caroline de Maigret and Sophie Mas who first brought us the bestseller How To Be Parisian, is now available to buy in the UK. Since its publication on 2nd January, it has attracted glowing press reviews, a selection of which are included below. Félicitations!
‘Older, But Better, But Older is a book to read late at night in one go and then buy for your girlfriends. Peppered with inspirational quotes and comedic anecdotes, it is soulful truth-telling with a wink and a prayer… a deep dive into the bittersweet angst that comes with experience, resonating deeply with those of us reverberating in the in-between.’
– British Vogue
‘Tackles the art of aging with a healthy dose of humour and aplomb.’
– Eurostar
‘Relatable insights… The book explores the surprises, good and bad, of growing older.’
– Harper’s Bazaar
‘Cool, chic, smart, sexy.’
– The Times Magazine
‘Older is its own Pandora’s Box, a treatise on freedom, self-knowledge… A nuanced compilation of quips, musings, digressions, pep talks, and commiserations about the pros and cons of aging.’
– Vogue US
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Stefania Rousselle paid a visit to London this week to promote and talk about her recently published book Amour: How The French Talk About Love. An award-winning journalist and documentary maker, Stefania decided to set out alone on a road trip across France, sleeping in strangers’ homes, asking ordinary men and women the one question everyone wants to know the answer to: What is love? The resulting book is a treasure trove of poignant and profound stories about love, accompanied by beautiful photographs.
Last night, a sold-out Waterstones at Tottenham Court Road hosted Stefania in conversation with Olivia Petter, host of the chart-topping podcast Millennial Love. Waterstones commented, “Stefania has lovingly created a book that we should buy for all of our loved ones and treasure forever.”
Huge thanks to everyone that came along!