Blake Friedmann Best of 2025

We’re proud of all our authors and thrilled to see the praise and prizes announced in 2025. Here’s a glimpse of the news in the media – and congratulations to all our writers on their many and varied achievements!

A WOMAN LIKE ME by Diane Abbott

Shortlisted for the 2025 RSL Christopher Bland Prize

A Guardian ‘Best Paperback’, March 2025

One of The i’s ‘Best New Paperbacks’, March 2025

WHO WILL REMAIN by Kasim Ali

A Spotify ‘Best Fiction Audiobook of 2025’

One of New Arab’s ‘25 standout books of 2025’

One of The i’s ‘Best New Books, July 2025’

A Spotify Editor’s Pick – August 2025

‘Kasim Ali’s second novel WHO WILL REMAIN also left a lasting impression. I was captivated by Amir’s journey navigating, societal and familial pressure within Alum Rock’s Pakistani community. The father-son relationship was depicted incredibly well and left me pondering. We really need more books written by men of colour that tackle themes this poignant – pick this up.’ – Linda Malek, The Candid Book Club

RECIPES TO DIE LIVE FOR by Sally Andrew

Winner of a 2025 Gourmand World Cookbook award in the Acknowledgements category

AGIMAT by Romalyn Ante

Longlisted for the Jhalak Prize for Poetry

THE MEMORY OF US by Dani Atkins

Shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s 2025 Romantic Thriller Award

SWEET HEAT by Bolu Babalola

One of Time’s ‘100 Must-Read Books of 2025’

One of Oprah Daily’s ‘Books That Got Us Through 2025’

Amazon Editors; Picks: Best Romance books of September

A Kobo Best of Romance, September 2025

One of The i’s ‘Best New Books’, July 2025

A New York Times ‘Best Novel Coming in Fall 2025’

‘Previously a Reese Witherspoon book club pick for her 2022 novel HONEY & SPICE, Babalola continues to show why with this gorgeous, lush new book… It’s witty, obviously, but there’s a warmth and real depth to the characterisation and the issues affecting the young Londoners it portrays. Will you see what’s coming a mile off? Definitely. Will you enjoy the journey? Every bit of it.’ – Jenny Colgan, The Guardian, ‘The Five Best Romance Books of 2025’

‘Stunning… It’s a joy to witness the former flames rediscover their passion in this emotional second-chance romance. Brilliantly narrated by Weruche Opia, SWEET HEAT is a transcendent listen that delivers pure magic.’ – Audible UK’s Best of the Year 2025 – Top 20 Pick

‘SWEET HEAT lives up to the high expectations set with its predecessor… Deliciously smart, humorous, and sexy… This is a sweet second-chance love story with a kick.’ – Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, ‘The Best Books of Fall 2025’

‘Babalola writes romance stories that tug at your heartstrings. The banter feels natural, and she isn’t afraid to turn up the heat. Fans of her other books will enjoy this new entry.’ – Adaora Obeleagu, Zikoko ‘The Best Nigerian Books of 2025’

‘There’s this beautifully layered tension, this wave of emotion, romance and personal reflection that runs through the whole story. SWEET HEAT is the book that comes after the coming-of-age story, it speaks to that weird messy in between time that sometimes comes after college, when you're figuring out who you are, what you want, and how to move forward. Babalola’s writing is stunning. She does a wonderful job of weaving words together in a way that makes you connect with the characters and whatever they're going through. SWEET HEAT is a must-read for anyone navigating the chaos of adulthood, love, and identity, especially when everything feels uncertain.’ – Chicago Public Library, Books of the Year

‘Underneath the fun and banter-filled second-chance romance lies a profound (okay, profound-ish) meditation on love and forgiveness.’ – Melissa Locker, Portland Mercury, ‘10 Favorite Romance (and Romantasy) Books of 2025’

COSTANZA by Rachel Blackmore

Longlisted for the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown Award 

BENBECULA by Graeme Macrae Burnet

One of ‘The Globe 100: The 100 Best Books of 2025’, Globe and Mail 

A CASE OF MATRICIDE by Graeme Macrae Burnet 

Winner of the Ned Kelly Award for International Crime Fiction 

THIS BRIGHT LIFE by Karen Campbell

Shortlisted for the Best Fiction prize at Scotland’s National Book Awards 

SUMMER ROLLS by Tuyền Đỗ

‘Perfectly encapsulates the immigrant experience and how different generations might look at the same situation through entirely different lenses… This story transported me through time in such a way that I couldn’t believe I had come to the end when I did. More than anything, though, this story made me HUNGRY. For more than just food; for travel and to experience more of the beauty in other corners of this vast world we live in.’ – Payal Shah, @pie_loves_books, ‘Books of the Year’

GROW WHERE THEY FALL by Michael Donkor 

One of The i’’s ‘Best New Paperbacks, March 2025’

EVERY KIND OF PEOPLE by Kathryn Faulke

Winner of the 2025 RSL Christopher Bland Prize

FELICITY’S WAR by Jean Fullerton

Shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s 2025 Romantic Saga Award

HEARTWOOD by Amity Gaige

‘HEARTWOOD absorbs the reader in the subculture and shorthand of the trail, exploring the thorny tangles of motherhood (and daughterhood) and building satisfying suspense about whether, and how, all three women will emerge from their metaphorical woods.’ – The New York Times, ‘The Best Books of the Year (So Far)’

THE DOGWALKER’S DETECTIVE AGENCY by Michael Hogan

‘Cosy crime takes a delightfully fresh turn with this striking debut about a graphic designer who returns to his childhood home at the seaside and finds a body while walking three dogs. One body breeds another, and the plot gently thickens. If you like Richard Osman’s books, you will love this.’ – Geoffrey Wansell, Daily Mail, ‘Best Books of 2025 – Crime’

ONE OF US IS DEAD by Peter James

No.1 UK paperback bestseller  

THE HAWK IS DEAD by Peter James

No. 3 UK hardback bestseller

‘The pages turn themselves in James’ series’ – Anna Bonet, the i newspaper, ‘The best new crime and thriller books to read in October 2025’

‘A majestic treat’ – James Owen, The Times, ‘The Best Thrillers of 2025 so far’

GRACE (TV show based on Roy Grace novels by Peter James)

‘Screenwriter Russell Lewis (ENDEAVOUR) adapts the novels of popular British crime mystery author Peter James in this series of feature-length episodes that feel like the epitome of prestige television. Grace follows John Simm (DOCTOR WHO) as a troubled detective whose failure to find his missing wife drives him to the point of obsession to solve each case… Simm’s performance is one of the best in his career, and it's a big draw of the show, though the cinematography and visual storytelling are a close second, as each episode feels like it has cinema-quality production to match the movie-style runtime.’ – Tauri Miller, Collider, ‘The 8 Best British Mystery Shows on Britxbox Right Now’

SHE PLAYS WITH THE DARKNESS by Zakes Mda

 Selected for the Searchlight Book List August 2025

THE ZULUS OF NEW YORK by Zakes Mda

Selected for the Searchlight Book List August 2025

LEO by Deon Meyer

Christmas No.1 in South Africa

‘This South African series has everything – an exotic setting, a great plot and the talents of detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido as they put their careers on the line to find the link between three seemingly unrelated homicides.’ – Globe and Mail, ‘The Globe 100: The 100 best books of 2025’

‘The master South African storyteller shows his aptitude for weaving multiple plotlines together and making them all equally engaging in this smart, exciting geopolitical thriller. LEO is a book to get lost in and to learn from.’ – Lisa Henricksson, Air Mail, ‘AIR MAIL’s 10 Best Mystery Books of 2025’

One of Amazon's Best Books of the Year So Far 2025 – Top 20 in the Mystery/Thriller (new and continuing series) category

ASHEN CROWN: BOUND BY FIRE by Elli J. Morrigan

‘BOUND BY FIRE held me captive with its rich world-building and titillating romance. Imogen Wilde was her own spark in this audiobook, delivering a layered performance of a story that was quite literally made for audio. I’m eager to see what debut author Elli J. Morrigan does next.’ —Audible Blog, ‘The 10 best romantasy listens of 2025’

THE GHOSTS OF ROME by Joseph O’Connor

Winner of the overall An Post Irish Book of the Year Award 2025

Winner of the Listeners’ Choice Award at the 2025 An Post Irish Book Awards

Shortlisted for the Eason Novel of the Year Award 2025

Shortlisted for the 2025 Kerry Group Novel of The Year Award

The seventh-highest selling book in Ireland in 2025

No.1 Irish hardback bestseller

One of The Times’ ‘Best Books of 2025 so far’

‘The second book in Joseph O’Connor’s Rome Escape Line trilogy is another superb testament to humankind’s bravery and resilience. Continuing the story of resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied Italy, THE GHOSTS OF ROME is just as moving and immersive as its predecessor, MY FATHER’S HOUSE’ – Laura Wilson, The Guardian, ‘The Best Crime and Thrillers of 2025’

‘Round two of the Rome Escape Line trilogy – that there won’t be one in 2026 means the whole year is already a dead loss – shows O’Connor’s mastery of the literary thriller. There’s poetry inspired by Urbs Aeterna and plenty of action to go with it, kicking off with an airman falling towards the Nazi-occupied city before the chase, while “bullets spit at his back”, begins. O’Connor’s reimagined adventures of our man in the Vatican, Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, will hit a screen at some point but don’t wait.’ – Pat Carty, Hot Press, ‘The Best Books of 2025’

MY FATHER’S HOUSE by Joseph O’Connor

A No.5 Irish Bestseller

THE HONEYMOON AFFAIR by Sheila O’Flanagan

Irish Top 10 bestseller and UK Top 20 bestseller

GUNNER by Alan Parks

Longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year

‘Taking inspiration from the real-life secret mission of Rudolph Hess, Parks's blazing wartime crime thriller finds a wounded former detective reluctantly drawn into the case of a mutilated German found in Glasgow's bomb wreckage.’ – Waterstones, ‘The Best Crime & Thrillers of 2025’

‘Lost love, bitter gangland enemies, and the identity of the dead man is at the heart of a powerful conspiracy story. It all makes for an intelligent and pacy crime thriller… Parks knows Glasgow and this is like experiencing the wartime streets of a city under siege from bombers and suffering the deprivations of war.’ – Paul Burke, Crime Fiction Lover, ‘Top Five Books of 2025’

TO DIE IN JUNE by Alan Parks

Longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award

PASSIONTIDE by Monique Roffey

Longlisted for CARICON Prize for Fiction

A MOTHER’S PROMISE by Renee Salt and Kate Thompson 

No.6 Sunday Times bestseller

THE STRANGER IN THE ROOM by Luca Veste

One of The Times’ ‘Best Thrillers of 2025 — so far’

THE NEAR NORTH by Ivan Vladislavic

Longlisted for South Africa’s Sunday Times Non-fiction Literary Award 

THE INNOCENTS by Bridget Walsh

Longlisted for the 2025 Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Gold Dagger award

WHITE ROAD by Harry Whitehead

‘WHITE ROAD by Harry Whitehead is a harrowing tale of endurance about an ex-navy rescue swimmer who is stranded in the Arctic. A compelling eco-thriller with big themes and an unforgiving icescape that’s a character in itself.’ – Eve Smith, ‘We're the queens of psychological crime thrillers – these were our fave reads of 2025’, Express

‘Probably the closest I will ever get to the Arctic is reading this frozen-white-knuckle ride of a thriller by Harry Whitehead. WHITE ROAD is both a page-turning disaster drama and a moral re-examination of the climate crisis and our species’ relentless need for more hydrocarbons. The author attends to the hour-by-hour twists in his plot, yet spliced to a forensic exploration of the human heart. He gives us a love letter to the extraordinary ice world of the Arctic: both its fragile beauty and its remorseless terrors. Before everything, the book strikes me as a singular, beautifully integrated achievement.’ – Mark Cocker, ‘Christmas Books 2025’

THE GRAMMAR OF ANGELS by Edward Wilson-Lee

‘In this smart and rangy book, Wilson-Lee, a Cambridge don, paints a glorious portrait of the great 15th-century prince of learning, and teaches you more about magic than you thought you would ever know.’ – The Telegraph, ‘The Greatest Books of 2025’,

Blake Friedmann picks for 2026

SMITTEN by Tom Bellamy

 One of the Next Big Idea Club’s Must-Read Books for February 2026

ADRIFT by Will Dean

‘Dean leans into claustrophobic tension, testing how trust collapses when survival becomes uncertain.’ – Girish Shukla, Times Now, ‘2026 Book Releases Worth Pre-Ordering Now’

BANSHEE, ed. by Ailbhe Malone

An Irish Times ‘One to Watch in 2026’

An Irish Examiner ‘Fiction to watch out for this year’

One of Stellar.ie’s 20 Books We’re Dying To Read In 2026

 SECRETS BETWEEN FRIENDS by Sheila O’Flanagan

 One The Irish Times ‘Best Fiction of 2026 to Look Forward to’ picks

Blake Friedmann Best of 2024 and Picks For 2025

As we leave January behind us, we’re delighted to be able to round up so many accolades our authors received for 2024, along with new titles highlighted as ones to watch for 2025  – congratulations to our writers on their many achievements!

Best of 2024

 A WOMAN LIKE ME by Diane Abbott

A Waterstones ‘Best Politics Books of 2024’

‘In her first memoir, A WOMAN LIKE ME, we understand how this daughter of working-class Jamaican immigrants has had to fight every step of the way to be treated with equality and respect. This superb account of a trailblazing life reveals how her intelligence, politics, compassion and willpower have shaped her resilience and pioneering spirit.’ – Bernardine Evaristo, The New Statesman, ‘Books of the Year 2024’

‘After a year in which she became a symbol of Labour’s civil war, Diane Abbott’s memoir is a reminder of just how significant a politician she is – and takes us well beyond the two-dimensional portrayals of recent years. She is witty and warm as she retraces her historic journey: the child of Jamaican immigrants who kept defying the odds to reach Cambridge, parliament and the shadow cabinet. No punches are pulled, not least regarding the young Jeremy Corbyn’s unconventional dating style or on the human impact of the racist abuse that has been the price of admission for her career in politics. Everyone needs to read a political book that isn’t about swaggering posh boys once in a while – make it this one.’ – Patrick Maguire, The Sunday Times, ‘The 9 Best Politics Books of 2024’

‘As the victim of “debilitating and corrosive” online abuse, Diane Abbott knows what it is to feel unsafe while doing her job. Her memoir A WOMAN LIKE ME is a heartfelt and defiant self-portrait charting her journey to become Britain’s first Black female MP and now Mother of the House.’ – Fiona Sturges, The Guardian, ‘The Best Biographies and Memoirs of 2024’

‘Britain’s first ever female Black MP tells her astonishing story of groundbreaking achievement and the political and social challenges she has faced in Parliament in candid, insightful prose.’ – Waterstones, ‘September’s Best Books’

‘In this honest and moving memoir, Diane takes the reader through her incredible journey… Written with her trademark frankness and humour, A WOMAN LIKE ME is a candid account that celebrates how one woman succeeded against massive odds to build an extraordinary life.’ – Tamika Mitchell, The British Blacklist, ‘Best Books of 2024’

 FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS by Shani Akilah

 One of The British Blacklist’s Best Books of 2024

 ‘I couldn’t put down this moving, hilarious and poignant collection of interwoven stories about a young group of Black British friends navigating young adult life in London. In fact I read it one night, totally absorbed in the rich and warm world of Shani Akilah.’ – Lydia Venn, Cosmopolitan, ‘The 2024 Cosmopolitan Book Awards’

 RECIPES TO DIE LIVE FOR by Sally Andrew

 Shortlisted for the prestigious 2024 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in two categories – the Acknowledgements Award and Local Regions Award

 WINTERTON BLUE by Trezza Azzopardi

 A New York Times ‘Best Books Since 2000’ pick

 HIS BLOODY PROJECT by Graeme Macrae Burnet

 A Publishing Scotland’s ‘50 Books for 50 Years’ pick

 CASE STUDY by Graeme Macrae Burnet

‘Did an unorthodox therapist drive a woman to suicide? This novel of purportedly found documents, including journals and biographical interludes, takes on this psychological mystery while exploring through its nested narratives the possibilities of fiction.’ – The New York Times, ‘Best Books Since 2000’

 A CASE OF MATRICIDE by Graeme Macrae Burnet

‘Graeme Macrae Burnet’s A CASE OF MATRICIDE finished up his Gorski trilogy with all the Kafkaesque shenanigans, paranoia and observational bathos you could wish for. It’s an incredibly fun, cleverly crafted novel that works on so many levels I can even forgive him for being a postmodernist.’ – Eimear McBride, The New Statesman, ‘Books of the Year 2024’

‘As always with Graeme Macrae Burnet, the devil is in the detail. There are few better at painting a picture of an individual through the objects and items which surround them. The key incident in this novel is from Inspector Georges Gorski’s past in the form of a memory of a broken mustard spoon, and it is in no small part at the heart of his existential crisis. It’s a shame that A CASE OF MATRICIDE is to be the last hurrah for Gorski, but it confirms what we already knew: that Graeme Macrae Burnet is a writer of style and substance. Don’t overlook the Georges Gorski trilogy. These are novels to treasure.’ – SNACK Magazine, ‘Ten Best Scottish Books of 2024’

 EDITH HOLLER by Edward Carey

‘From the writer of much loved LITTLE, this tells the story of a young woman who spends her time among the inhabitants of a rundown theatre, and comes to believe it is up to her to save her father from certain doom.’ – The Big Issue, ‘The Ultimate Guide to the Best Books of 2024’

 THE ROYAL REBEL by Elizabeth Chadwick

‘It is always the sign of a good book if the author can leave me in tears and send me through a range of emotions from beginning to end. In THE ROYAL REBEL, Elizabeth Chadwick has achieved this and then some! ... She draws out the tension, adds in the human element, family dynamics and political considerations and keeps the reader gripped to the very end – even though I already knew the outcome! … THE ROYAL REBEL is no mere romance… Her research has been meticulous and her attention to detail, to the dress and customs of the period, is second-to-none… The plot is intricate but entirely plausible and answers several questions around the actions of the parties involved…  THE ROYAL REBEL is not just a good read, it is an experience of life in the mid-14th century and not to be missed. THE ROYAL REBEL is most definitely among my Top 5 books of 2024. I cannot recommend it highly enough!’ – Sharon Bennett Connolly, History… The Interesting Bits, ‘Top 5 Books of 2024’

 GROW WHERE THEY FALL by Michael Donkor

Selected as one of The Bookseller’s ‘Season Highlights’

 THE STORY SPINNER by Barbara Erskine

Immediate No.1 Sunday Times Bestseller

 EVERY KIND OF PEOPLE by Kathryn Faulke

Selected as one of The Bookseller’s ‘Season Highlights’

THE TRICK IS TO KEEP BREATHING by Janice Galloway

A Publishing Scotland’s ‘50 Books for 50 Years’ pick

 TO KILL A KING by David Gilman

One of LoveReading’s ‘Best Books of the Year 2024’

 VINDICATION: A LIFE OF MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT by Lyndall Gordon

A New York Times ‘Best Books Since 2000’ pick

 NEWBORN by Kerry Hudson

Selected as one of The Bookseller’s ‘Season Highlights’

 TRONDHEIM by Cormac James

A Washington Independent Review of Books Book of the Year

 Peter James

Won Four Silvers at the Nielsen BookData Bestseller Awards

 GRACE (TV show based on Roy Grace novels by Peter James)

‘The epitome of prestige television. Grace follows John Simm (DOCTOR WHO) as a troubled detective whose failure to find his missing wife drives him to the point of obsession to solve each case… Simm’s performance is one of the best in his career, and it's a big draw of the show, though the cinematography and visual storytelling are a close second, as each episode feels like it has cinema-quality production to match the movie-style runtime.’ – Tauri Miller, Collider, ‘The 8 Best British Mystery Shows on Britxbox Right Now’

 ONE OF US IS DEAD by Peter James

Immediate No.3 Bestseller

A Waterstones ‘Best Crime & Thrillers of 2024’

‘DS Roy Grace returns in the twentieth gripping instalment in Peter James’ bestselling series, as links to a man supposedly dead and buried start cropping up in an ongoing investigation into a series of suspicious deaths.’ – Waterstones, ‘September’s Best Books’

STOP THEM DEAD by Peter James

Immediate No.1 bestseller

 THEY THOUGHT I WAS DEAD by Peter James

Immediate No.1 bestseller

Selected as one of The Bookseller’s ‘Season Highlights’

 SOMETIMES THERE IS A VOID by Zakes Mda

‘The South African novelist and playwright absorbingly illuminates his wide, worldly life’ – The New York Times, ‘Best Books Since 2000’

 THE HEART OF REDNESS by Zakes Mda

A New York Times ‘Best Books Since 2000’ pick

 LEO by Deon Meyer

Winner of the 2024 SA Book Awards - Best Adult Fiction and Book of the Year

An Exclusive Books ‘Top 24 of 24’ pick

Winner of 2024 ATKV-Woordveertjies Prize

No.1 Bestseller in South Africa

‘When their suspect in a death is himself murdered in a professional hit, South Africa’s finest, Benny Griessel and Vince Cupido, probe his past as a mercenary. In a thrilling parallel plotline, Christina Jaeger takes part with the dead mercenary’s former comrades in a heist targeting gold bullion plundered by corrupt politicians. Ambushes and double-crosses abound as Griessel strives to tie together the threads before he is pulled from the case. A masterly portrait of a nation in deep crisis.’ – James Owen, The Sunday Times, ‘The 10 Best Thrillers of 2024’

 HEART OF THE HUNTER film (adapted from Deon Meyer’s novel by the same name)

No.1 in the Netflix Most Watched chart

 A SKYE FULL OF STARS by Sue Moorcroft

‘A perfect romance for an evening curled up by the fire.’ – Helen Fields, Daily Express, ‘2024’s Best Books’

 MY FAMILY MEALS by Grace Mortimer

Selected as one of The Bookseller’s ‘Season Highlights’

 MY FATHER’S HOUSE by Joseph O’Connor

Shortlisted for the 2024 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction

Longlisted for the 2024 Dublin Literary Award

One of The Times’ ‘100 Best Summer Reads for 2024’

‘The setting and era is vibrantly depicted, as expected from this award-winning writer of historical fiction, but the real success of the book is the author’s ventriloquistic way with voice, his ability to switch with ease between characters, perspectives, tenses, metafictional devices, without ever losing control of the story.’ – Sarah Gilmartin, Vulture, ‘The Best Irish Novels Published in the Past 15 years’

‘Riveting… This literary thriller blends historical accuracy with an intense emotional narrative, exploring the moral dilemmas of heroism. Through richly drawn characters and suspenseful storytelling, O’Connor crafts a gripping tale of courage and sacrifice, reminding readers of the profound impact one individual can have during humanity’s darkest times.’ – Girish Shukla, Times Now, ‘10 Best Historical Fiction Books of 2024 That Transport You Through Time’

 STAR OF THE SEA by Joseph O’Connor

‘A ripping yarn, by an Irish critic and playwright, that is also an agonizing inquiry into our vast tolerance for the suffering of others, in this instance the starving Irish of 1847, morally observed by an American journalist and the captain of a ship carrying émigrés in steerage.’ – The New York Times, ‘Best Books Since 2000’

‘Another absolute favourite author of mine. Joe is one of those authors whose books you’d queue outside the shop for. From the wilds of Connemara to the grimy mean streets of New York, this modern masterpiece – hackneyed expression but true in this case – features the horrors of the Famine as a backdrop to a story of injustice, cruelty and, ultimately, revenge. How it hasn’t been made into a movie, I’ll never know.’ – Ryan Tubridy, Easons ‘My All time Fave Books’ catalogue

 SPARKS OF BRIGHT MATTER by Leeanne O’Donnell

‘This book from Ballydehob-based author O’Donnell blends fact and fiction to enthralling effect. The protagonist, Peter Woulfe, is an alchemist based on the real-life figure of the same name, born in Ennis in 1727. The action begins in Georgian London with Woulfe searching for a mysterious illustrated book, before jumping back to his childhood spent in the shadow of Mount Gabriel.’ – Marjorie Brennan, The Irish Examiner, ‘35 Cork Books of the Year’

 Sheila O’Flanagan

Shortlisted for the 2024 Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year Award

 THE HONEYMOON AFFAIR by Sheila O’Flanagan

A No.1 Irish bestseller

An Immediate No.4 Irish bestseller  

An i newspaper ‘Best New Books to Read in May 2024’ pick

 MAY GOD FORGIVE by Alan Parks

Nominated for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière in the Best Foreign Novel category

 PASSIONTIDE by Monique Roffey

Selected as one of The Bookseller’s ‘Season Highlights’

‘A tour de force Caribbean novel of female revolution that will keep you reading all hours… Monique Roffey is back with PASSIONTIDE, a masterful exploration of love, identity, and the complexities of human relationships. Building on the rich narrative style and vivid characterizations seen in her award-winning novel THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH, Roffey weaves a tale that is both deeply personal and universally resonant… The novel’s lush, evocative prose and intricate storytelling draw readers into a world where emotions run deep, and the past intertwines with the present. Roffey’s ability to capture the rage and power of these women make PASSIONTIDE a compelling and unforgettable read, which is a celebration of female empowerment.’ – Chaya Colman & Sophie Ezra, Glamour Magazine, ‘Best New Books of June 2024’

 THE TUMBLING GIRL by Bridget Walsh

Winner of the 2024 HWA Debut Crown Award

Shortlisted for the 2024 ILP John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger

Picks for 2025

We’re thrilled that so many of our upcoming books have been chosen as 2025 highlights!

 THE VIOLET HOUR by James Cahill

‘An intriguing look at an industry built on appearances’ – Katie Rosseinsky, The Independent, ‘The Best Books to Look Out for in 2025’

‘I enjoyed James Cahill’s debut TIEPOLO BLUE, a murky psychological thriller about obsession, deception, desire and modern art, mainly because I was intrigued to see how he would develop his talent. We’re about to find out in this second novel, which appears to tread similar territory with a story about an elusive abstract artist whose comeback show is marred by the sudden death of a young man he knew well.’ – Claire Allfree, Daily Mail, ‘Ones to Watch... the books to look out for in the New Year’

 LEO by Deon Meyer

‘Meyer delivers another top-notch thriller out of South Africa, this one finding Detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido in exile from Cape Town, working a murder out of a university town, when another killing across the country reverberates with their investigation and opens the possibility of a broader conspiracy.’ – Dwyer Murphy, CrimeReads, ‘The Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2025’

 THE GHOSTS OF ROME by Joseph O’Connor

One The Sunday Times’ ‘The 40 Books to Look Out for in 2025’ picks

‘The second gripping historical thriller in the Rome Escape Line series finds the choir's resistance activities compromised by the arrival of a mysterious parachutist who may be either friend or foe.’ – Waterstones, ‘Best Books to Look Out for in January’

 THE GRAMMAR OF ANGELS by Edward Wilson-Lee

‘With his A History of Water and The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books, Wilson-Lee has established himself as a wonderful chronicler of stories too oblique for less adventurous writers and The Grammar of Angels promises to be one of the non-fiction highlights of the year.’ – Charlie Connelly, The New European 

 HOW TO WRITE A ROM-COM by Cristina Wolf

One of LoveReading’s ‘2025 Preview of the Best Books on the Horizon’

Blake Friedmann Best of 2023

We’re delighted to have so many author achievements from 2023 to celebrate! Congratulations to our writers!

‘A Short Trip to Tesco’ by Shani Akilah

Shortlisted for the Writers’ & Artists’ Short Story Competition 2023

THE MILK TART MURDERS by Sally Andrew

Winner of the Adult Fiction category at the 2023 SA Book Awards

Romalyn Ante

Elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

Graeme Armstrong

Included in the Granta Best of Young British Novelists list

SIX DAYS by Dani Atkins

Winner of the Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award at the 2023 Romantic Novel Awards

HONEY AND SPICE by Bolu Babalola

Winner of the BookTok Book Of The Year at the 2023 TikTok Book Awards

Shortlisted for the Début Fiction Book of the Year award at the 2023 British Books Awards

OXBLOOD by Tom Benn

Winner of the 2022 Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award

Longlisted for the Gold Dagger at the Crime Writers’ Association Daggers Awards

‘Deeply immersive and evocative of the era… This is a novel to lose yourself in.’ – The Times, ‘100 Best Books for Summer 2023’

CASE STUDY by Graeme Macrae Burnet

Longlisted for the 2023 Dublin Literary Award

TIEPOLO BLUE by James Cahill

Longlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award

EDITH HOLLER by Edward Carey

One of Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2023

A Broadway Direct ‘2023 Holiday Book Guide for theatre lovers’ pick

‘Edward Carey excels in writing – and drawing! – peculiar characters, and the cast he creates for the macabre and fun EDITH HOLLER is no exception.’ – Melissa Gray, NPR, ‘NPR Best Books of the Year 2023’

‘What I love about Edward Carey’s writing is one he takes you immediately into the past, he has a very unusual imagination that shows itself not only in the beautiful writing but in the beautiful illustrations that he does throughout the novel. Edward Carey’s world is just one I always want to be in and I love all his books.’ – Bill Goldstein, NBC, ‘ Bill Goldstein’s Five Favorite Books of 2023’

UNDERCURRENT by Natasha Carthew

Shortlisted for the 2023 Nero Book Awards

 Anne de Courcy

Awarded the Biographers’ Club Exceptional Contribution Prize

THE LAST PASSENGER by Will Dean

‘If you think the notion of the “high concept” thriller has been fully exsanguinated, think again. In Dean’s new novel, a luxury liner adrift without a crew in the mid-Atlantic has one passenger, Caz Ripley, left on board, dealing with a Mary Celeste-like mystery. Irresistibly compelling fare.’ – The Financial Times, ‘Best Summer Books of 2023: Crime’

‘Perfect… Will Dean’s ingenious plot developments will keep you, like Caz, guessing wildly, and Jenny Funnell’s narration keeps belief suspended until the very end – and indeed beyond it.’ – Christina Hardyment, The Times, ‘The Best Audiobooks for Summer 2023’

‘Welcome to the RMS Atlantica, a ship unlike any other. We wish you fair winds and calm seas.’ – New York Library, ‘Best Books for Adults 2023’

THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS by Finuala Dowling

Longlisted for the South African Sunday Times Literary Awards

Janice Galloway

Elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

RESURRECTION by David Gilman

‘From a murder on the London Underground to a mission that goes badly wrong in the Sahara, Gilman keeps the action flowing furiously in the latest outing for Dan Raglan, a former MI6 officer and soldier in the French Foreign Legion. Raglan’s back-story and twisty political intrigue add an extra layer in this intelligent, satisfying international adventure.’ – The Financial Times, ‘Best Summer Books of 2023: Thrillers’

THE HYACINTH GIRL by Lyndall Gordon

Longlisted for 2023 PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography

MY THIRTY-MINUTE BAR MITZVAH by Denis Hirson

Longlisted for the South African Sunday Times Literary Awards

STOP THEM DEAD by Peter James

‘DS Roy Grace confronts an alarming illegal trade in dogs which leads to savage murder in this unputdownable addition to James' acclaimed crime series’ – Waterstones, ‘The Best Books of 2023: Crime & Thriller’

PICTURE YOU DEAD by Peter James

A No.2 Sunday Times bestseller

‘A fun, fast-paced mystery, featuring a villain with an insatiable lust for art history’s forgotten treasures willing to stop at nothing to complete his collection.’ – Sarah Cascone, Art Net, ‘Best Art Books Published in 2023’

Contraflow: Lines of Englishness 1922-2022, ed. by John Greening and Kevin Gardner, including ‘The Only English Kid’ by Hannah Lowe

‘Finally, a treasure trove for poetry lovers. Contraflow: Lines of Englishness 1922-2022 is an anthology of English poetry from the past century. It sounds all too familiar and comfortable. But the editors, John Greening and Kevin Gardner, have cleverly set familiar voices of the past alongside some of today’s best poets, such as Zaffar Kunial and Hannah Lowe. If you tend not to read anything later than Larkin, this is a great way to start bringing yourself up to date.’ – Graeme Richardson, The Times, ‘16 Best Literature and Poetry Books of 2023’

THE WOMAN IN THE CHINESE COLLAR (previously titled MOY: In Search of Nelsa Lowe) by Hannah Lowe

Winner of the 2024 Eccles Centre & Hay Festival Writer’s Award

Zakes Mda

Nominated for the African Genius Awards

THE DARK FLOOD by Deon Meyer

Longlisted for the Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation at the Crime Writers’ Association Daggers Awards

Nominated for the 2023 Barry Awards in the Best Mystery or Crime Novel category

LEO by Deon Meyer

Overall (All-Language Fiction and Non-Fiction) No 1 Bestseller in South Africa for 10 weeks

MY FATHER’S HOUSE by Joseph O’Connor

An Irish No.1 for 4 weeks in a row and was in the Irish Top Ten for another 12 weeks

Shortlisted for the Eason Novel of the Year Award at the 2023 An Post Irish Book Awards

Shortlisted for the Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year Award at the 2023 An Post Irish Book Awards

One of the most borrowed books from Kerry Library in 2023

‘O’Connor combines suspenseful storytelling with an eye for quirky human detail as he recounts the cat-and-mouse game with the Nazi authorities of the man dubbed “the Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican’’ – The Times, ‘100 Best Books for Summer 2023’

‘Joseph O’Connor’s historical novel MY FATHER’S HOUSE manages to be at once a ripping yarn and a profound exploration of moral choices in the worst of times… With lyrical evocation of time and place, scabrous humour and heart-stopping tension, it combines the pleasures of the ideal holiday read with those of a literary masterpiece.’ – Fintan O’Toole, The Irish Times, ‘The Best Books of 2023 so far’

‘MY FATHER’S HOUSE explore[s] the legacy of the past and show how the power and influence of the Catholic Church comes in many guises… [an] exploration of literary style and its possibilities, the art of making it new.’ – Colm Tóibín, The Irish Times, ‘The Best Books of 2023 so far’

‘Striking, immersive’ – Sarah Gilmartin, The Irish Times, ‘The Best Books of 2023 so far’

‘Based on the true story of a group in Vatican City whose daring exploits during World War II saved lives, O’Connor’s narrative charts the buildup and countdown to their mission. The result is a gripping drama featuring the unlikeliest of heroes, whom the reader will root for every step of the way’ – The Washington Post, ‘50 Notable Works of Fiction’

‘O’Connor’s beautifully written novel centers on an Irish priest, Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, who organized escapes for Jews, resistance fighters and Allied prisoners during the Nazi occupation of Rome. Assisting him were men and women whose much-fictionalized selves are presented here in the compelling voices of actors Barry Barnes, Aoife Duffin, Stephen Hogan and several others.’ – Katherine A. Powers, The Washington Post, ‘The 10 Best Audiobooks of 2023’

‘O’Connor must have danced a jig of delight when he came upon the true story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, the Kerry-born priest stationed in the Vatican during World War II. O’Flaherty was directly responsible for helping around 6,500 people escape the clutches of the Nazis as the forces of darkness surrounded the Holy See. He’s a hero to cheer for, opposed by a proper boo-hiss villain in Obersturmbannführer Paul Hauptmann, and the supporting cast – everyone from The Pope to London wide boys - is equally strong. The master story teller delivers crackling dialogue, tense and thrilling set pieces, and beautiful prose. A bank holiday movie in book form.’ – Pat Carty, Hot Press, ‘The Best Books Of 2023’

‘[Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty’s] powerful story becomes a literary thriller which examines the nature of sacrifice and what it means to be human in the most extreme circumstances.’ – Fiona Audley, Irish Post, ‘Top Irish Reads for Christmas 2023’

‘MY FATHER’S HOUSE by Joseph O’Connor is a fictionalised account of the war years of Monsignor Hugh O’Connor, Vatican cleric and saviour of thousands of Allied prisoners and Jews in Nazi-occupied Rome. He didn’t act alone, and O’Connor gives voice and colour to his many helpers in this lively, evocative and beautiful rendering of the faith and courage of the scholarly but humble Kerry priest.’ – Anne Cunningham, The Anglo-Celt , ‘Some suggestions for books as Christmas gifts’

‘It’s both beautifully written literature and a cracking will-they-won’t-they thriller, as team O’Flaherty embark on a race against time, counting down to Christmas Eve and the next dangerous mission to save Allied soldiers. Gorgeous and brilliant.’ – Jenni Frazer, The Jewish Chronicle, ‘Fiction review of the year’

THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE by Sheila O’Flanagan

No.1 Irish bestseller

WHAT EDEN DID NEXT by Sheila O’Flanagan

The third most borrowed book from Kerry Library in 2023

BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER by Alan Parks

Winner of the 2023 Prix Mystère de la critique

MAY GOD FORGIVE by Alan Parks

Shortlisted for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger at the Crime Writers’ Association Daggers Awards

Longlisted for the 2023 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award

FIFTEEN WILD DECEMBERS by Karen Powell

Shortlisted for the 2023 Nero Book Awards

‘The story of moorland isolation, early deaths and burgeoning creativity is a familiar one, but Powell with Emily as her first-person narrator, gives it a new energy, capturing the vulnerability of the three sisters and their determination to make the most of their talents.’ – Nick Rennison, The Times, ‘The Best Historical Fiction Books of 2023’

‘More people need to discover this. A dazzling work of genius, her writing about the Brontë sisters make you inhabit their world and struggles.’ – Georgina Moore, The Daily Express, ‘Favourite Reads of 2023’

‘It’s a brave novelist who seeks to enter the mind of Emily Brontë, to be a ventriloquist to such strange genius, but this book is a triumph in its psychological acuity and wonderful use of language. (And Emily’s bull mastiff Keeper should now be in any list of best dogs in fiction.)’ – Nick, Sevenoaks Bookshop, ‘Books of the Year’

A LIBRARY TO FLEE by Etienne van Heerden (translated by Henrietta Rose-Innes)

Longlisted for the South African Sunday Times Literary Awards

A HISTORY OF WATER by Edward Wilson-Lee

Shortlisted for the 2023 James Tait Black Biography Prize

A HISTORY OF WATER by Edward Wilson-Lee makes 2023 James Tait Black Biography Prize shortlist

A HISTORY OF WATER, Edward Wilson-Lee’s astonishing biography of Damião de Góis and Luís de Camões, has been shortlisted for the illustrious 2023 James Tait Black Biography Prize.

The James Tait Black Prizes are the longest-running literary prizes in Britain, with two prizes in total – one for fiction and one for biography.

The other titles shortlisted for this year’s biography prize are: HOMESICK by Jennifer Croft; A LINE IN THE WORLD: A YEAR ON THE NORTH SEA COAST by Dorthe Nors, translated from Danish by Caroline Waight; and COME BACK IN SEPTEMBER: A LITERARY EDUCATION ON WEST SIXTY-SEVENTH STREET, MANHATTEN by Darryl Pinckney.

The titles shortlisted for this year’s fiction prize are as follows: BITTER ORANGE TREE by Jokha Alharthi, translated from the Arabic by Marilyn Booth, DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver; BOLLA by Pajtim Statovci, translated from Finnish by David Hackston; and AFTER SAPPHO by Selby Wynn Schwartz.

On this year’s biography shortlist, judge Dr Simon Cooke comments: ‘Absorbing, resonantly voiced, and beautifully realised, these life-writings open fascinating and various worlds, and searchingly inquire into the transformative relations between literature and life.’

The winners of both prizes will be announced by the University of Edinburgh in July. Past winners of the biography prize include the likes of Martin Amis, Claire Tomalin and Doireann Ní Ghríofa.

A Times Literary Supplement ‘Book of the Year’ as well as one of The Times ‘Best History Books of 2022’,  A HISTORY OF WATER follows the interconnected lives of two men across the renaissance globe. One of them, Damião de Góis – an aficionado of mermen and Ethiopian culture, an art collector, historian and expert on water-music – returned home from witnessing the birth of the modern age to lock himself in the Torre de Tombo, the first great national archive of Europe, before dying in a mysterious incident, apparently the victim of a grisly and curious murder. The other, Luís de Camões – a ruffian, vagabond and braggart, chased across the globe from Mozambique to Japan – ends up becoming the national poet of Portugal.

The stories of Damião de Góis and Luís de Camões capture the extraordinary wonders that awaited Europeans on their arrival in India and China, the challenges these marvels presented to longstanding beliefs, and the vast conspiracy to silence the questions these posed about the nature of history and of human life. In vividly charting those struggles, Edward Wilson-Lee resurrects de Góis’ fluid and dynamic vision of history. A history whose currents endlessly rise up and converge, turbulent, sonorous, and powerful.

A HISTORY OF WATER was first published to great acclaim in hardback by William Collins in August 2022, and the paperback edition will be published in August this year.

About Edward Wilson-Lee

Edward Wilson-Lee is a Fellow in English at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he teaches medieval and Renaissance literature. After growing up in Kenya and Switzerland, he went to university in London, New York, Oxford and Cambridge, living briefly in Mexico and New Orleans in between.

His previous books SHAKESPEARE IN SWAHILILAND and THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS have been widely acclaimed, published in the UK and US, and translated into 11 languages.

Praise for A HISTORY OF WATER

‘A very few times in the course of a reader's life a book appears that shatters one's assumptions about how and why things came to pass. A HISTORY OF WATER is one such book. A mind-blowing achievement.’ – Alberto Manguel

‘This book is itself something of a wonder: beautifully written and utterly mesmerising. I loved every page.’ – Jessie Childs, The Sunday Times

‘A wonderful – and wonder-full – recreation of a crucial episode in European history… The book also has a rare beauty; written with elegant restraint, its every page is rich in numinous sense of vanishings and misunderstandings, gaps in the records, marvels and mysteries… hauntingly vivid’ – Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph

Visit Edward’s website

Follow Edward on Twitter

Blake Friedmann Best of 2022 & 2023

We’re delighted to have so many author achievements from 2022 to celebrate! Take a look at the list here:

GOOD INTENTIONS by Kasim Ali

 One of LoveReading’s ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 One of The Week’s ‘Best Novels of 2022’

 THE HIERARCHIES  by Ros Anderson

 ‘THE HIERARCHIES by Ros Anderson went above and beyond my expectations. The plot is as fast-paced as any Hollywood movie but the writing is exquisite. Told through the voice of Sylv.ie, a synthetic robot designed to cater to her husband’s every whim, there are dark moments and, as with the best dystopian fiction, the novel asks questions about humans and how we relate to those we see as ‘lesser’. I became very attached to Sylv.ie and her journey and I know I will re-read this book many times.’ – Gaynor Jones, Northern Soul, ‘Best Reads of 2022’

 EAST SIDE VOICES (including contributions by Romalyn Ante, Tuyen Do & Andrew Wong)

 ‘EAST SIDE VOICES, which started life as a literary salon exploring what it means to be East and Southeast Asian in Britain today, now takes this varied and thought-provoking collection of essays, brought together by founder and editor Helena Lee… Invaluable and delightful.’ – Esquire, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘A range of touching essays on what it means to have an Asian or Southeast Asian identity in Britain. I found the nuanced reflections by the contributors, from Harry Potter actress Katie Leung to author and musician Claire Kohda, incredibly informative and, at times, profoundly emotional.’ – Katy Hessel, Waterstones Blog, ‘Katy Hessel's Favourite Reads of 2022’

THE MILK TART MURDERS (A Tannie Maria Mystery #4) by Sally Andrew

 A Number 1 Bestseller in South Africa (and series streamed on Acorn TV)

A SKY FULL OF STARS by Dani Atkins

 Winner of the Contemporary Romantic Novel Award at the 2022 Romantic Novel Awards

 HONEY & SPICE by Bolu Babalola

 One of Booklist’s ‘Top 10 Romance Debuts’ of 2022

 One of Time’s ‘Must-Read Books of 2022’

 One of WHSmith’s ‘Best Books of 2022’

 One of NPR’s ‘Best Books of 2022’

 A Times Bestseller

 ‘The holidays are the perfect time to sink into this sweet and savvy mashup. Like a Gen Z meeting of Nora Ephron and Bernardine Evaristo, in her first romance novel, the author of the myth-inspired story collection LOVE IN COLOR infuses the joy, pain, and laughter of young love with cultural insight and drama… This swoony coming-of-age tale cements Babalola’s superlative status as a queen of romantic comedy and master chronicler of Black British life.’ – Oprah Daily, ‘Favorite Books of the Year’

 ‘Amidst the typical stream of horror that social media offered in 2022, Twitter and TikTok also placed this sensual and thought-provoking romance into my lap… a romantic comedy brimming with all of my favourite tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and Brits bantering until you’re practically begging for them to just snog already. Babalola expertly blends sex with societal discourse in ways that echo Jane Austen and Nora Ephron. Receiving updates on her follow-up is – for now – reason enough to keep Twitter activated.’ – Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘This book felt like me. Having attended a British uni with a big African-Brit community (very much like the characters Kiki and Malakai at their society, Blackwell), reading about all that existed in their world while their story took place was nothing short of amazing. Everything about the way the story moved and flowed was so familiar. I felt like I lived it and to me, that is why I read – to see myself in pages and bask in the knowledge that I *get* it. This was one of those reads. Beyond that, it is definitely my favourite because you can feel the care and thoughtfulness that went into crafting the very realistic characters. As a big lover girl, it helped that the whole book literally bled romance and Black joy and excellence. Totally swoon-worthy.’ – Anna-Maria Poku, The New York Times, ‘Readers’ Favourite Books of 2022’

 ‘A deliciously witty romantic comedy, packed full of memorable characters and relatable humour.’ – Waterstones, ‘Best Books of 2022: Feelgood Fiction’

 ‘Flirting – good flirting – has its own drumbeat; an unseen force that seems to govern the back and forth. Not only does Bolu Babalola capture this perfectly in HONEY & SPICE, but whether she’s writing about her characters’ heartbreak or their hope, their treasured friendships or their burning ambitions, her prose has its own irresistible rhythm – the kind that sucks you into their world completely… Babalola’s loving treatment of time-honoured romance tropes – the fake relationship is a classic for good reason – feels entirely fresh, and her ability to transcribe what it’s like to have chemistry with someone is enough to give you butterflies.’ – Apple Books, ‘Books of the Year’

 ‘If Bolu Babalola’s bestselling (and utterly fantastic) short story collection LOVE IN COLOUR offered a taste of the kinds of stories that this author can tell, then there’s no denying that her full-length debut HONEY & SPICE has confirmed without a doubt that Babalola is a romance writing force to be reckoned with. Packed with just as much passion, chemistry and heart as those stories that came before it, HONEY & SPICE has a lot of fun with its genre as expert relationship-evader Kiki and the man she recently publicly declared “The Wasteman of Whitewell” embark on a fake relationship in a bid to achieve their respective goals. Beneath the story of Kiki and Malakai’s surprising connection and electric chemistry, however, is an equally well-developed narrative of identity, friendship, love and growth. It’s all told with such an intelligent, sparkling narrative style and such delicious romantic tension that HONEY & SPICE will leave you desperately wanting to hear more from Bolu Babalola.’ – Megan Davies, Culturefly, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘Every so often a writer will come along who takes your breath away with every page. Bolu Babalola is that writer. HONEY AND SPICE is her debut novel following the success of her short story collection LOVE IN COLOUR. It does not disappoint. The novel has all the ingredients for a hot and hilarious rom-com; take two students and a dash of chemistry, and mix in a hugely entertaining plotline, topped with a few spoons of passion and there you have it. Perfection.’ – Samira Sawlani, African Arguments, ‘Best African Books of 2022’

 ‘Bolu Babalola’s debut novel is a sexy slow-burn with depth, and the best part? She’s publishing a sequel in 2024.’ – Lydia Wang, Women’s Health Magazine, ‘Best Romance Novels 2022’ 

 ‘I haven’t read anything that has given me the same warm and fuzzy feeling since Bolu Babalola’s last offering LOVE IN COLOUR. Filled with romantic tension and misunderstanding, and an irresistible love interest, HONEY & SPICE is the perfect antidote to all woes. Never cynical and always loving, Bolu Babalola is a real gem! … A funny and sparkling debut, HONEY & SPICE is full of delicious tension and romantic intrigue that will make you weak at the knees.’ – Una McKeown, The British Blacklist, ‘The Best Reads of 2022’

 ‘Weruche Opia’s confident narration sings with a heady mix of feminine power and vulnerability. Opia builds an elegant, charismatic persona for Kiki Banjo, who doles out feminist relationship advice on her radio show. Add a fake relationship and a magical connection for a spellbinding story.’ – AudioFile Magazine, ‘Best Audiobooks of 2022’

 ‘I loved this book – romance and a bit of drama took me back to my university days. I loved the characters and all of the different friendships and relationships. It was fun and enjoyable and so easy to read!’ – Kimberley (Reading Partner), The Reading Agency, ‘Books of 2022’

 ‘Humorous and passionate’ – Elizabeth Okosun, The List, ‘The Best Romance Books Of 2022’

 ‘This enemies-to-lovers romance set on a British university campus hums with Bolu Babalola’s energetic, intelligent voice.’ –  Bookpage, ‘Best Romance of 2022’

 OXBLOOD by Tom Benn

 Longlisted for the 2022 Gordon Burn Prize

 HOPE AND GLORY by Jendella Benson

 =‘Hilarious and heart-warming in equal measure, this novel is centred around a family struggling to cope with loss, buried secrets and collective trauma. At times, I felt genuinely concerned for Glory, her family and the status of her new romantic relationship. I was completely absorbed in Jendella Benson’s Peckham, and loved her unique narrative voice… HOPE AND GLORY is a rich, heart-warming story of loss, love and family chaos and marks an exciting new voice in fiction.’ – Una McKeown, The British Blacklist, ‘The Best Reads of 2022’

 ‘In Jendella Benson’s HOPE AND GLORY, Glory Akindele flies home to London from Los Angeles after the news of her father’s sudden death. She’s tired of pretending that her life in L.A. is glamorous, but things aren’t so great at home either. Glory’s brother is in jail and won’t speak to her because she missed his trial, her sister is trying to uphold the facade of a perfect Nigerian housewife, and after the loss of her husband, her mother is on the verge of another nervous breakdown. Glory decides to stay and try to mend her family’s problems, but discovers a family secret that threatens to drive her family further apart.’ – Mariette Williams, Essence, ‘The 7 Best Novels Of 2022’

MELIZ’S KITCHEN by Meliz Berg

 No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller

 One of ‘The Food Programme’s Books of 2022’

 CASE STUDY by Graeme Macrae Burnet

 Shortlisted for the 2022 Gordon Burn Prize

 Shortlisted for the 2022 Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction

 Longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize

 Longlisted for the Historical Writers’ Association 2022 Gold Crown Award

 ‘Did an unorthodox therapist drive a woman to suicide? This novel of purportedly found documents, including journals and biographical interludes, takes on this psychological mystery while exploring through its nested narratives the possibilities of fiction.’ – New York Times, ‘Notable Books of 2022’

 ‘CASE STUDY by Graeme Macrae Burnet is complex, funny and scary. After the ingenuity of HIS BLOODY PROJECT, set in remote 19th-century Scotland, who would imagine he could pull off the same trick twice with the cultish anti-psychiatry scene of 1960s London? Mind-blowing.’ – Peter Brookes, The Times, ‘Favourite Books of 2022’

 TIEPOLO BLUE by James Cahill

 One of BBC Culture’s ‘Best Books of the Year 2022’

 ‘Having been up at Cambridge in the mid-1980s, I was prepared to recognize (and luxuriate in the nostalgia of) the university’s ambience as depicted in James Cahill’s triumphant first novel TIEPOLO BLUE after I read the TLS review of it. Sure enough, it took me right back there in an instant, as the plot and the intriguing central character march towards their superb denouement.’ – Andrew Roberts, Times Literary Supplement, ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 ‘A compelling psychosexual story about beauty, desire and art, TIEPOLO BLUE is all the more interesting because it hits notes of such strangeness.’ – Lucy Scholes, Prospect Magazine, ‘Fiction Books of the Year: 2022’

 ‘An alluring and profoundly moving bildungsroman.’ – Waterstones, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘A simmering debut novel.’ – Esquire, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘When a repressed art historian falls for an uninhibited young artist, his entire life begins to unravel. Beautifully written, perfectly poised between satirical and heartfelt, and set right here in Dulwich Village.’ – Village Books, ‘Books of the Year: Fiction 2022’

 ‘Art, sex, power – TIEPOLO BLUE has it all, wrapped together in a plot that grabs you by the hand and leads you into the wild nights of Soho’s gay nightlife and the 1990s British art scene. It’s gripping and exquisitely written, with queer lust cutting through a pervasive air of unease.’ – Matt Railton, Soho House, ‘Best reads of 2022’

 THE LAST THING TO BURN by Will Dean

 Shortlisted for Thriller Book of the Year at the 2022 Fingerprint Awards

 Shortlisted for the 2022 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award

 Longlisted for The Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2022

 Longlisted for The 2022 Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger Award

 THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS by Finuala Dowling

 ‘I wept through it and when I finished THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS by Finuala Dowling, such is the emotion it evokes… a memorably crafted novel. It touches the tender nerve network of family and some shriekingly vivid entrail images of World War 2 battlefields in a tale that takes you into old schools and churches, hospitals and circus tents, advertising agencies, the streets of London, bars of Cape Town and even the downtrodden of Marseille. Most endearing are the interspersed heartfelt Fragments from a writer’s diary. This is a beautiful nugget of family legend, glistening with poet Dowling’s exquisitely turned phrases and hallmark huggable humour.’ – Nancy Richards, Sunday Times, ‘Books of the Year’

 A RATION BOOK CHRISTMAS BROADCAST by Jean Fullerton

  Shortlisted for the Shorter Romantic Novel in the 2022 Romantic Novel Awards

 BETRAYAL by David Gilman

 One of LoveReading’s ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 THE HYACINTH GIRL: T.S. Eliot’s Hidden Muse by Lyndall Gordon

 ‘Exemplary… revealed that the great man’s poetry was a lot less impersonal than he led us to believe.’ – Lucasta Miller, The Spectator, ‘Books of the Year’

 ‘Lyndall Gordon’s sensitive study of Emily Hale, Eliot’s childhood sweetheart in America’ – Iona McLaren, The Telegraph, ‘Best Biographies of 2022’

 ‘Putting it all in a surprising perspective is Lyndall Gordon’s insightful THE HYACINTH GIRL. Though raised in St. Louis, and long associated with a distinct British chilliness, Eliot and his work were shaped by women rarely given their due. Drawing on more than 1,100 letters to his lifelong love Emily Hale, Gordon introduces a tangled emotional backdrop.’ – Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune

 ‘A number of good books have marked the centenary of “The Waste Land”… but, for me, the most brilliant and incisive new book on Eliot is Lyndall Gordon’s The Hyacinth Girl: T.S. Eliot’s Hidden Muse, which looks at Eliot’s poetry in the light of his recently opened correspondence with Emily Hale.’ – Colm Tóibín, Irish Times, ‘Best Books of the Year’

 SIDE EFFECTS: How Our Healthcare Lost Its Way - And How We Fix It by David Haslam

 ‘In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the revered doctor asks searching questions about the current state of the NHS and what we should rightfully expect from our medical services.’ –Waterstones, ‘Best Books of 2022: Popular Science’

 PICTURE YOU DEAD by Peter James

 Top 10 Sunday Times Bestseller

 ‘Peter James returns with book eighteen in the highly successful DS Roy Grace series. Whether your loved one is a fan of Grace (either in the book or TV show format), or just loves a good police procedural, PICTURE YOU DEAD won’t disappoint – this time, Grace is caught up in the cut-throat world of fine art collection.’ – Darren Hardy, Amazon Editors’ Choice, ‘Best Books to Gift: Fiction’

‘The latest instalment in the Roy Grace series of mystery novels is also a personal favourite. James is a solid writer – character, action, and plot are perfectly balanced in this fantastic and gripping novel. If you haven’t read Peter James, make 2023 your resolution to start.’ – Andrew Gulli, The Strand Magazine, ‘Top 25 Mystery Novels of 2022’

 THE KIDS by Hannah Lowe

 Winner of the Costa Prize 2022

 Shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize 2022

 Hannah Lowe made fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

 ARE WE HAVING FUN YET? by Lucy Mangan

 Longlisted for the Comedy Women in Print Prize

 Zakes Mda

 The latest in a series of academic accolades, Wits University Awarded an Honorary Doctorate to Zakes Mda in July 2022

 THE DARK FLOOD by Deon Meyer

A Number One Bestseller in South Africa

 Winner of the Crime Fiction Lover’s Award, Best in Translation, December 2022

 ‘Deon Meyer is the monarch of South African crime novelists. Detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido, demoted after an ill-advised sortie in Cape Town, are investigating the disappearance of a computer wizard and beset by their own problems (such as Benny’s alcoholism). No stinting on the usual critique of South African politics.’ – Barry Forshaw, Financial Times, ‘Best Books of 2022: Crime Fiction’

 ‘South African author Deon Meyer writes in his native Afrikaans and is a master at keeping a long-running series fresh and feisty, which is why readers loved his latest Benny Griessel novel. It’s also one of his best… THE DARK FLOOD is a complex mystery thriller that is tense and explosive, populated with strong characters and has a very satisfying denouement as the strands of the story coalesce. As good as police procedurals get anywhere in the world.’ – Crime Fiction Lover,  Winner of  ‘Best in Translation’ at Crime Fiction Lover Awards 2022

 At the Gothenburg Book Fair 2022 Deon was also awarded the Martin Beck Award (‘Den gyllene kofoten’ or The golden crowbar) by the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers for THE LAST HUNT (published in 2020 but the prize could not be awarded to him due to the pandemic).

 YOUR WORD OR MINE by Lia Middleton

 ‘A thriller so full of twists it left me with whiplash’ – Clare Mackintosh, Daily Express, ‘Favourite Books of 2022’

 MY FIRST MEALS by Grace Mortimer

 Instant Sunday Times Bestseller

 Joseph O’Connor

 Winner of the 2022 AWB Vincent American Ireland Fund Literary Award

 WHAT EDEN DID NEXT by Sheila O’Flanagan

 Number One on the Irish Bestseller lists

 Shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2022 for Popular Fiction Book of the Year

 THREE WEDDINGS AND A PROPOSAL by Sheila O’Flanagan

 Top 10 bestseller in both the UK and Ireland

 MAY GOD FORGIVE by Alan Parks

 Winner of the McIlvanney Prize 2022

 One of The Guardian’s ‘Best Crime & Thriller Books of 2022’

 ‘This fifth instalment in Parks’s 1970s-set Harry McCoy crime series continues the neat titular conceit which began with BLOODY JANUARY and continued with FEBRUARY’S SON. Winner of this year’s prestigious McIlvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year Prize at the Bloody Scotland festival, it finds McCoy racing to save two boys kidnapped by unknown assailants after they are charged with a deadly arson attack on a hairdresser. Let’s hope Parks makes it all the way through to December to complete the dodecology.’ – Barry Didcock, The Herald, ‘Best Scottish Novels Of 2022’

 BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER by Alan Parks

 Winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award 2022

 Shortlisted for the Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel 2022

 SHIVER by Allie Reynolds

 Shortlisted for ‘Best Debut Crime’ at the 2022 Davitt Awards

 THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH by Monique Roffey

 Monique Roffey made fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

 ‘For a long time the idea of the woman scorned in Caribbean Literature came from Jean Rhys’ WIDE SARGASSO SEA, and while that was a powerful narrative, Monique Roffey has chosen to challenge it, and explore a different aspect of this in her award winning novel THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH. While it is about an actual mermaid caught off the coast of a Caribbean island in the 1970s, it is also about possession of women, colonisation, complicated inherited legacies and ancient curses. It’s a bittersweet, tender love story told in a lilting patois that immediately creates a detailed vision of the island, its land, people and history.’ – Mahvesh Murad, Tor.com, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 THE LITTLE WARTIME LIBRARY by Kate Thompson

 ‘A love letter to libraries, librarians and books… wonderful.’ – Reader review, Women’s Prize newsletter, ‘The Best Books You Read in 2022’

 A HISTORY OF WATER by Edward Wilson-Lee

 ‘In A HISTORY OF WATER, Edward Wilson-Lee brilliantly weaves together the career of the Portuguese national poet, Camões, and the historian Damião de Góis, and cleverly resolves a mystery about Damião’s murder. He opens a window on to a vast and contentious trading world that extended from Manila and Macau to the Atlantic.’ – David Abulafia, Times Literary Supplement, ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 ‘THE HISTORY OF WATER contrasts the lives of two great sixteenth century Portuguese men, and through them asks us to engage with two contrasting views of history. In its quiet way it takes us deep into the origins of post-Renaissance culture. I loved it.’ – Gabriel Josipovici, Times Literary Supplement, ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 ‘If you’re tired of the Nazis and the Tudors, this is the perfect antidote. It’s the story of two men who travelled the world from Lisbon in the 16th century: the art-collecting diplomat Damiao de Gois and the one-eyed ruffian Luis de Camoes, whose voyages took them as far as India, China and Japan… A splendidly readable book, full of odd details and bizarre characters.’ – Dominic Sandbrook, The Times, ‘Best History Books’

 ‘Compelling… An amazingly intricate account of Portugal’s Golden Age, constructed around two explorers and their competing visions for an expanding world.’ – Prospect Magazine, ‘Books of the Year: History’

 Edward Wilson-Lee was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to work on his next book.

BOOKS TO READ IN 2023

So many BFLA titles were chosen as 2023 highlights! Take a look at the list here:

THE LAST PASSENGER by Will Dean

‘Will Dean’s THE LAST PASSENGER focuses on what was meant to be the holiday of a lifetime. Now, the main character just needs to survive. Ooh er.’ – Aine Toner, Belfast Telegraph, 2023 pick

RESURRECTION by David Gilman

A LoveReading ‘2023 Fiction Preview ­– The Fabulous Fiction that Awaits Us in the New Year ’ pick

‘RESURRECTION by David Gilman sees Dan Raglan return in the third Englishman thriller. Thirty years after his death, the skeleton of a pilot emerges from the dunes, still carrying a document that could expose the most valuable spy the UK intelligence service has ever known. The British, French, and Russians are looking for it — and so is Raglan.’ – Frances Owen, Historia Mag, ‘Historical books to look out for in 2023’

THE DIVE by Sara Ochs

‘THE GUEST LIST meets THE BEACH in this absorbing summer read about the dark side of paradise. It’s a truly gripping thriller that will transport you to Thailand from the comfort of your armchair or sun lounger.’ – Dead Good Books, ‘Debut crime novels to watch out for in 2023’

MY FATHER’S HOUSE by Joseph O’Connor

An Irish Times ‘Books to look forward to in 2023’ pick  

An Irish Independent 2023 pick

An Irish Examiner 2023 culture pick

‘In this powerful literary thriller based on a true story, Irish priest Hugh O’Flaherty hides those escaping from the Nazis in the neutral Vatican City as German forces occupy Rome.’ – Denise O’Donoghue, Irish Examiner

THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE by Sheila O’Flanagan

An Irish Independent 2023 pick