The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories ( pb 2020)
£9.99
The perfect gift this Christmas season: a generous selection of some of the greatest festive stories of all time.
This is a collection of the most magical, moving, chilling and surprising Christmas stories from around the world, taking us from frozen Nordic woods to glittering Paris, a New York speakeasy to an English country house, bustling Lagos to midnight mass in Rio, and even outer space. Here are classic tales from writers including Truman Capote, Shirley Jackson, Dylan Thomas, Saki and Chekhov, as well as little-known treasures such as Italo Calvino's wry sideways look at Christmas consumerism, Wolfdietrich Schnurre's story of festive ingenuity in Berlin, Selma Lagerlof's enchanted forest in Sweden, and Irene Nemerovsky's dark family portrait. Featuring Santas, ghosts, trolls, unexpected guests, curmudgeons and miracles, here is Christmas as imagined by some of the greatest short story writers of all time.
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Midwinter Murder, Agatha Christie (hardback, Oct 2020)
£14.99
An all-new collection of winter-themed mysteries from the master of the genre.
There's a chill in the air and the days are growing shorter... It's the perfect time to curl up in front of a crackling fireplace with this winter-themed collection from legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie.
But beware of deadly snowdrifts and dangerous gifts, poisoned meals and mysterious guests. This compendium of short stories, some featuring beloved detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, is an essential omnibus for Christie fans and the perfect gift for mystery lovers. INCLUDES THE STORIES:The Chocolate BoxA Christmas TragedyThe Coming of Mr QuinThe Mystery of the Baghdad ChestThe Clergyman's DaughterThe Plymouth ExpressProblem at Pollensa BaySanctuaryThe Mystery of Hunter's LodgeThe World's EndThe Manhood of Edward RobinsonChristmas Adventure
Supporting Cast, Kit de Waal
£8.99
From the acclaimed author of My Name is Leon***'
Stories of everyday lives that will resonate and move you utterly'
As she walks out of her marriage, a woman remembers the day her husband rescued a boy from drowning. A blind man on his wedding day celebrates the pursuit of love. And a young man leaves prison with only one desire - to see his son again.
Kit de Waal's characters light up the page in vivid stories of thwarted desire, love and loss. With power and precision, humanity and insight, Supporting Cast captures the extraordinary moments in our ordinary lives, and the darkness and the joy of the everyday.
The Cocktail Hour by Sophia Hillan
£15.00
Local writer and academic Sophia Hillan has worked with Arlen House Publishing to produce this stunning collection of her short stories. Compelling, with a delicate touch and a wry insight, this delightful book is very satisfying.
Sophia has also published two novels The Friday Tree and The Way We Danced, as well as a factual exploration of Jane Austen’s family connections in Donegal ‘ May, Lou and Cass : Jane Austen’s nieces in Ireland’.
How to Gut A Fish, Sheila Armstrong ( hardback Feb 2022)
£16.99
Unsettling, unpredictable, and brilliant' Roddy Doyle
In sumptuous and evocative prose, Sheila Armstrong writes stories that are unnerving and unsettling. Stories which make you go, wait, wait, what was that? ' Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled GroundOn a boat offshore, a fisherman guts a mackerel as he anxiously awaits a midnight rendezvous. Villagers, one by one, disappear into a sinkhole beneath a yew tree.
A nameless girl is taped, bound and put on display in a countryside market. A man returning home following the death of his mother finds something disturbing among her personal effects. A dazzling and disquieting collection of stories, how to gut a fish places the bizarre beside the everyday and then elegantly and expertly blurs the lines.
An exciting new Irish writer whose sharp and lyrical prose unsettles and astounds in equal measure, Sheila Armstrong's exquisitely provocative stories carve their way into your mind and take hold. 'Dark, devilishly well written and full of atmosphere, How to Gut a Fish is one of the most original and affecting short story collections I've read in years' Jan Carson, author of The Fire Starters
