Deixis Press – förlag

FINALIST FOR THE 2023 PAGE TURNER AWARDS'The absorbing winter escape of a read that I had been seeking' -Prashanth Gopalan, Strange Horizons'Riddled with mysteries, the darkest of human emotions, and it is a book that will instigate curiosity, yet send a shiver down your spine each moment you turn a page' -India TodayKingdom of Mysore, 1799. A guilt-racked British Army deserter tries to win safety for those he loves – but his reckless bargaining only leaves him trapped between destinies, condemned to facilitate centuries of suicide and murder. Death after death, each death diminishes him, until – a quarter of a millennium later – a Keralan astrophysicist has the chance to annul the soldier’s Faustian bargain. But Chandy John is weakened by his own burden of grief. Will this twenty-first century scientist become just another helpless nexus between undeserved death and undeserved life?Hangdog Souls is set in the Dravidian heartlands of South India– and in a blurred edgeland where alternative realities elide. Through linked narratives of guilt, shame and the search for absolution, this book takes readers from the arid Tamil plains to the highest peaks of the Nilgiris, and from occult horrors in Tipu Sultan’s kingdom to creeping madness in the world of particle physics.Spanning three hundred years, the stories in Hangdog Souls weave together the fates and fortunes of multiple characters – individuals that echo through the generations, asking always the same question: What weight can balance the death of an innocent?

FINALIST FOR THE 2023 PAGE TURNER AWARDS'The absorbing winter escape of a read that I had been seeking' -Prashanth Gopalan, Strange Horizons'Riddled with mysteries, the darkest of human emotions, and it is a book that will instigate curiosity, yet send a shiver down your spine each moment you turn a page' -India TodayKingdom of Mysore, 1799. A guilt-racked British Army deserter tries to win safety for those he loves – but his reckless bargaining only leaves him trapped between destinies, condemned to facilitate centuries of suicide and murder. Death after death, each death diminishes him, until – a quarter of a millennium later – a Keralan astrophysicist has the chance to annul the soldier’s Faustian bargain. But Chandy John is weakened by his own burden of grief. Will this twenty-first century scientist become just another helpless nexus between undeserved death and undeserved life?Hangdog Souls is set in the Dravidian heartlands of South India– and in a blurred edgeland where alternative realities elide. Through linked narratives of guilt, shame and the search for absolution, this book takes readers from the arid Tamil plains to the highest peaks of the Nilgiris, and from occult horrors in Tipu Sultan’s kingdom to creeping madness in the world of particle physics.Spanning three hundred years, the stories in Hangdog Souls weave together the fates and fortunes of multiple characters – individuals that echo through the generations, asking always the same question: What weight can balance the death of an innocent?

FINALIST FOR THE 2024 PAGE TURNER AWARDS"Full of voice and redolent of the time period" -British Fantasy Society"Explores concepts of identity and Otherness as well as acknowledging hangover caused by colonisation and imperialism with a historical fictional approach" -The Fantasy HiveIt's the Wild West, but it's wilder than you think...Discover uncharted territories in this powerful collection of Western adventure stories, where settlers who flood into a new continent in search of a better life must confront the indigenous population who call it home.Follow the journey of a determined young widow who is struggling to keep her farm going, as she must deal not only with the harsh realities of the frontier but also with injustices brought by her fellow settlers. Meet a newlywed couple struggling to understand each other and their new life together.Watch the small-town lawman fighting to keep the peace in a land filled with tension and violence. Read the perspective of an academic looking to make his name by documenting the indigenous people.And follow the orc wanderer watching his people being swept aside by the human settlers and facing the difficult decision of whether to fight – or to assimilate.Through these disparate but interwoven stories, we see a new mythology of settlement born, old stories told in new ways – a fresh focus on the legends we write for ourselves.

FINALIST FOR THE 2024 PAGE TURNER AWARDS"Full of voice and redolent of the time period" -British Fantasy Society"Explores concepts of identity and Otherness as well as acknowledging hangover caused by colonisation and imperialism with a historical fictional approach" -The Fantasy HiveIt's the Wild West, but it's wilder than you think...Discover uncharted territories in this powerful collection of Western adventure stories, where settlers who flood into a new continent in search of a better life must confront the indigenous population who call it home.Follow the journey of a determined young widow who is struggling to keep her farm going, as she must deal not only with the harsh realities of the frontier but also with injustices brought by her fellow settlers. Meet a newlywed couple struggling to understand each other and their new life together.Watch the small-town lawman fighting to keep the peace in a land filled with tension and violence. Read the perspective of an academic looking to make his name by documenting the indigenous people.And follow the orc wanderer watching his people being swept aside by the human settlers and facing the difficult decision of whether to fight – or to assimilate.Through these disparate but interwoven stories, we see a new mythology of settlement born, old stories told in new ways – a fresh focus on the legends we write for ourselves.

‘As powerful and addictive as the first outing of Siòn Scott-Wilson’s personable Regency graverobbers, What We Leave Behind leads its reader through a beautifully-realised and immersive world of stark necessities amid exquisite squalor, conjuring its Dandy-Horses, resurrection-men and its rich, steaming London in a persuasively authentic eighteenth-century voice. This is the most pungent and rewarding thriller I expect to read this year – a sordid and electrifying triumph.’ -ALAN MOOREA gripping tale of redemption and the power of love set against the backdrop of a historical crime-ridden London...In this highly-anticipated sequel to Some Rise By Sin, Sammy and Facey are pulled back into the gritty world of London's criminal underworld. This time, the stakes are higher than ever as the fate of Sammy's young adopted son hangs in the balance. Coerced into the hunt for a notorious gemstone, Sammy and Facey are torn between their moral code and their desperate desire to save the boy.As they navigate the dangerous streets of London, they are forced to confront the weight of their actions and the legacies they will leave behind. Will they make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the stolen child—and can they rise above the sins of their past?

‘As powerful and addictive as the first outing of Siòn Scott-Wilson’s personable Regency graverobbers, What We Leave Behind leads its reader through a beautifully-realised and immersive world of stark necessities amid exquisite squalor, conjuring its Dandy-Horses, resurrection-men and its rich, steaming London in a persuasively authentic eighteenth-century voice. This is the most pungent and rewarding thriller I expect to read this year – a sordid and electrifying triumph.’ -ALAN MOOREA gripping tale of redemption and the power of love set against the backdrop of a historical crime-ridden London...In this highly-anticipated sequel to Some Rise By Sin, Sammy and Facey are pulled back into the gritty world of London's criminal underworld. This time, the stakes are higher than ever as the fate of Sammy's young adopted son hangs in the balance. Coerced into the hunt for a notorious gemstone, Sammy and Facey are torn between their moral code and their desperate desire to save the boy.As they navigate the dangerous streets of London, they are forced to confront the weight of their actions and the legacies they will leave behind. Will they make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the stolen child—and can they rise above the sins of their past?

WINNER, BEST PARANORMAL IN THE 2024 BEST INDIE BOOK AWARDS (BIBA®)'A thought-provoking novel of considerable power' -Strange HorizonsFROM THE WINNER OF THE 2022 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR BEST HORRORLondon, 1973. A small-time crook is on the run – from the law, from the local crime boss and, above all, from a horror that’s haunted him since childhood: a supernatural psychic entity that seeks to devour his soul. It’s crawled out of his memories and now, slowly, it’s emerging from his mind and into reality. So he believes, but is it real? Are feelings of guilt about his most recent crime pushing him into paranoid delusions?At the boarding house where he takes refuge, he hopes to restart his life through his love for a fellow resident, but his growing fear of the entity – and the imminent vengeance of London’s criminal underworld – threatens disaster for them both. When they find themselves at the entity’s mercy, trapped in a bizarre, menacing otherworld, reality itself mutates into something truly evil…PRAISE FOR RICHARD GADZ'Gadz brings the squalor of Victorian London to life...The fast-moving story maintains a good balance between the outright horror of gleefully gruesome scenes and the increasingly sympathetic character of the "monstrous" Maria as she learns what it means to be human' -Lisa Tuttle, The Guardian'Gadz nails the Gothic sensibility and Victorian-era characters, and the story was practically dripping with atmosphere. Gadz nicely balances nail-biting action scenes with horrific descriptions of medical procedures, and I can honestly say I was never bored... I loved every bit of it' -Books Bones & Buffy'I was completely captivated by these characters. One to read over a dark dramatic weekend' -Genevieve Jenner, author of Chocolate Cake For Imaginary Lives'A remarkable book, visceral and philosophical in equal measure. The perfect combination of big ideas and a rattling good yarn. Hell of a read' -James Kinsley, author of Playtime's Over and Greyskin'A superbly atmospheric novel imagined around the next generation after Frankenstein... Gadz's novel is always convincing and placed authentically in its historical context. The believable, well-drawn characters... draw us in and earn our interest and sympathy, although some of the more gruesome details are not for the fainthearted. The plot is intricate, full of action, and very exciting with plenty of wonderful set pieces' -Rubery Award for Fiction, shortlisted 2022

WINNER, BEST PARANORMAL IN THE 2024 BEST INDIE BOOK AWARDS (BIBA®)'A thought-provoking novel of considerable power' -Strange HorizonsFROM THE WINNER OF THE 2022 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR BEST HORRORLondon, 1973. A small-time crook is on the run – from the law, from the local crime boss and, above all, from a horror that’s haunted him since childhood: a supernatural psychic entity that seeks to devour his soul. It’s crawled out of his memories and now, slowly, it’s emerging from his mind and into reality. So he believes, but is it real? Are feelings of guilt about his most recent crime pushing him into paranoid delusions?At the boarding house where he takes refuge, he hopes to restart his life through his love for a fellow resident, but his growing fear of the entity – and the imminent vengeance of London’s criminal underworld – threatens disaster for them both. When they find themselves at the entity’s mercy, trapped in a bizarre, menacing otherworld, reality itself mutates into something truly evil…PRAISE FOR RICHARD GADZ'Gadz brings the squalor of Victorian London to life...The fast-moving story maintains a good balance between the outright horror of gleefully gruesome scenes and the increasingly sympathetic character of the "monstrous" Maria as she learns what it means to be human' -Lisa Tuttle, The Guardian'Gadz nails the Gothic sensibility and Victorian-era characters, and the story was practically dripping with atmosphere. Gadz nicely balances nail-biting action scenes with horrific descriptions of medical procedures, and I can honestly say I was never bored... I loved every bit of it' -Books Bones & Buffy'I was completely captivated by these characters. One to read over a dark dramatic weekend' -Genevieve Jenner, author of Chocolate Cake For Imaginary Lives'A remarkable book, visceral and philosophical in equal measure. The perfect combination of big ideas and a rattling good yarn. Hell of a read' -James Kinsley, author of Playtime's Over and Greyskin'A superbly atmospheric novel imagined around the next generation after Frankenstein... Gadz's novel is always convincing and placed authentically in its historical context. The believable, well-drawn characters... draw us in and earn our interest and sympathy, although some of the more gruesome details are not for the fainthearted. The plot is intricate, full of action, and very exciting with plenty of wonderful set pieces' -Rubery Award for Fiction, shortlisted 2022

FINALIST FOR THE 2024 PAGE TURNER AWARDSFROM THE AUTHOR OF THE CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED HANGDOG SOULSAs an independent comic book store owner and the heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, Philippe Favrier lives a life that straddles the real world and the realm of fiction. Struggling with mental illness, Philippe relies on his wife, Marilyne – a successful surgeon with her own haunting secrets – and a groundbreaking drug his father developed. Bound by their shared pain, they navigate their haunted lives, forever shadowed by the heart-rending loss of their baby, Antoine.Their fragile world begins to crumble when Philippe catches a disturbing glimpse of an unfamiliar profile in the mirror. And his uneasiness is further fueled by an anonymous comic strip that arrives at his store, featuring a character bearing an eerie resemblance to him.Is Marilyne hiding an affair? Is she connected to the comic strip that's tormenting him? As he probes deeper, Philippe is drawn into a web of deception, where the lines between reality and imagination blur – until his investigations into Marilyne and the malicious comic artist at last reveal the tragic truth.PRAISE FOR HANGDOG SOULS'The absorbing winter escape of a read that I had been seeking' -Prashanth Gopalan, Strange Horizons'Riddled with mysteries, the darkest of human emotions, and it is a book that will instigate curiosity, yet send a shiver down your spine each moment you turn a page' -India Today'I find the astonishing stories collected -- and arranged chronologically by historical era -- to be consistently enthralling, amazing, and powerful. They are beautifully written and filled with both sharp characterizations of conflicted, complicated people and rich, multi-layered detail about the states, landscapes, history, and lingering myths of southern India. . . . I recommend Hangdog Souls heartily to all thoughtful readers who long to be immersed in a fulsomely realized world that skillfully combines very old mythologies and phenomenally new reflections on what they can still mean' -Jerrold E. Hogle, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of English, University of Arizona'A complex and wildly ambitious novel which makes no apologies for bringing together contrasting genres and influences - from historical fiction to the Gothic, from intergenerational family drama to "realist" fiction, from supernatural horror to sci-fi, all infused with elements of philosophy, myth and spiritualism and conveyed in rich and beautiful prose' -Ends of the World

FINALIST FOR THE 2024 PAGE TURNER AWARDSFROM THE AUTHOR OF THE CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED HANGDOG SOULSAs an independent comic book store owner and the heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, Philippe Favrier lives a life that straddles the real world and the realm of fiction. Struggling with mental illness, Philippe relies on his wife, Marilyne – a successful surgeon with her own haunting secrets – and a groundbreaking drug his father developed. Bound by their shared pain, they navigate their haunted lives, forever shadowed by the heart-rending loss of their baby, Antoine.Their fragile world begins to crumble when Philippe catches a disturbing glimpse of an unfamiliar profile in the mirror. And his uneasiness is further fueled by an anonymous comic strip that arrives at his store, featuring a character bearing an eerie resemblance to him.Is Marilyne hiding an affair? Is she connected to the comic strip that's tormenting him? As he probes deeper, Philippe is drawn into a web of deception, where the lines between reality and imagination blur – until his investigations into Marilyne and the malicious comic artist at last reveal the tragic truth.PRAISE FOR HANGDOG SOULS'The absorbing winter escape of a read that I had been seeking' -Prashanth Gopalan, Strange Horizons'Riddled with mysteries, the darkest of human emotions, and it is a book that will instigate curiosity, yet send a shiver down your spine each moment you turn a page' -India Today'I find the astonishing stories collected -- and arranged chronologically by historical era -- to be consistently enthralling, amazing, and powerful. They are beautifully written and filled with both sharp characterizations of conflicted, complicated people and rich, multi-layered detail about the states, landscapes, history, and lingering myths of southern India. . . . I recommend Hangdog Souls heartily to all thoughtful readers who long to be immersed in a fulsomely realized world that skillfully combines very old mythologies and phenomenally new reflections on what they can still mean' -Jerrold E. Hogle, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of English, University of Arizona'A complex and wildly ambitious novel which makes no apologies for bringing together contrasting genres and influences - from historical fiction to the Gothic, from intergenerational family drama to "realist" fiction, from supernatural horror to sci-fi, all infused with elements of philosophy, myth and spiritualism and conveyed in rich and beautiful prose' -Ends of the World

"I felt I was eavesdropping on genuine 19th-century grave robbers . . . the author's skilled prose . . . convinced me. I felt I was there in the rough and tumble streets of 1830s London. Grotesque pathetic yet with poignant moments of calm and welcome humour." -TRACY CHEVALIER"This book is a masterpiece ... Some Rise by Sin is a dark dark book though often hilarious and with a masterful voice. Buy this book immediately." -NICK MAMATAS"Siôn Scott-Wilson seems very much to be a writer after my own heart. Some Rise By Sin proved pretty much impossible to put down ... masterfully plotted and presented with indelible characters." -ALAN MOORE1829 is a tough year to be a body snatcher. Burke and Hare have just been convicted of killing people to sell their bodies, to widespread outrage—but despite the bad press, doctors still need fresh corpses for medical research.Sammy and Facey are a couple of so-called ‘resurrection men’, making a living among society's fringe-dwellers by hoisting the newly departed from the churchyards of London whilst masquerading as late-night bakers. Operating on tip-offs and rumours in the capital’s drinking dens and fighting pits, the pair find themselves in receipt of some valuable intelligence: an unusual cadaver has popped up on the market, that of a hermaphrodite.Some Rise by Sin is a rich, authentic and absorbing historical narrative with a darker edge, a story of surviving on the outskirts of respectability. With echoes of Michel Faber’s The Crimson Petal and the White, it is meticulously researched and suffused with the dark and grimy atmosphere of Regency London, and explores what ambition can mean for poor people in a society that conspires to grind them down at every turn.

"I felt I was eavesdropping on genuine 19th-century grave robbers . . . the author's skilled prose . . . convinced me. I felt I was there in the rough and tumble streets of 1830s London. Grotesque pathetic yet with poignant moments of calm and welcome humour." -TRACY CHEVALIER"This book is a masterpiece ... Some Rise by Sin is a dark dark book though often hilarious and with a masterful voice. Buy this book immediately." -NICK MAMATAS"Siôn Scott-Wilson seems very much to be a writer after my own heart. Some Rise By Sin proved pretty much impossible to put down ... masterfully plotted and presented with indelible characters." -ALAN MOORE1829 is a tough year to be a body snatcher. Burke and Hare have just been convicted of killing people to sell their bodies, to widespread outrage—but despite the bad press, doctors still need fresh corpses for medical research.Sammy and Facey are a couple of so-called ‘resurrection men’, making a living among society's fringe-dwellers by hoisting the newly departed from the churchyards of London whilst masquerading as late-night bakers. Operating on tip-offs and rumours in the capital’s drinking dens and fighting pits, the pair find themselves in receipt of some valuable intelligence: an unusual cadaver has popped up on the market, that of a hermaphrodite.Some Rise by Sin is a rich, authentic and absorbing historical narrative with a darker edge, a story of surviving on the outskirts of respectability. With echoes of Michel Faber’s The Crimson Petal and the White, it is meticulously researched and suffused with the dark and grimy atmosphere of Regency London, and explores what ambition can mean for poor people in a society that conspires to grind them down at every turn.

Finalist for the Guild of Food Writers First Book AwardFive Star Finalist in the Spring 2023 Readers’ Choice Book AwardsFinalist for the 2023 Page Turner Awards"We all have imaginary lives, and if we are lucky we have a dish to go with them..."So begins the title story of Genevieve Jenner's debut short story collection: a ground-breaking anthology of magical-realist food writing.A Russian countess finds herself making borscht for her socialist Parisian neighbours; unknown office colleagues secretly exchange lunchtime delicacies and recipes via the work fridge; steak is cooked at midnight on a Friday to get around Catholic proscriptions; and a thrilling sexual awakening descends into a metaphor of tired sandwiches and squashed fruit.Chocolate Cake for Imaginary Lives is a book that the sexiest celebrity chef you can think of would take to read in bed, cackling in private recognition—but not just because it’s about the role of food at the centre of our lives. It’s also about the place of women in the world, the messiness of life, and the joy of snatched moments in the midst of chaos. With a wit and frankness that combines vulnerability and strength, all wrapped up in a package of stories that speak right to the soul, Genevieve Jenner writes about real and imaginary lives with poignance and authenticity.

WINNER of the 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards for HorrorSHORTLISTED for the 2022 Rubery Prize for Fiction"A remarkable book, visceral and philosophical in equal measure. The perfect combination of big ideas and a rattling good yarn. Hell of a read." - James Kinsley, author of Playtime's Over and Greyskin"Always convincing and placed authentically in its historical context. The believable, well-drawn characters, even Maria, who forms her own moral pathways, draw us in and earn our interest and sympathy, although some of the more gruesome details are not for the faint-hearted. The plot is intricate, full of action and very exciting with plenty of wonderful set pieces – a sinister secret organisation that has permeated all levels of society, a chase in a horse and carriage through the streets of London and a climax in the British Museum" -2022 Rubery Prize reviewIn the autumn of 1879, an intelligent, artificially-created being – outwardly a young woman called Maria – arrives in London under the protection of biologist Professor George Hobson. Hobson gathers a few close friends and reveals her existence, explaining that she is the final result of a research programme undertaken by a dynasty of unethical scientists, the von Frakkens – all now dead.Thrilling and evocative, fantastical and grotesque, The Workshop of Filthy Creation uses a Frankenstein-ian thread to stitch together elements of real scientific history with the darkest parts of Victorian London and speculation on the nature of human life.

WINNER of the 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards for HorrorSHORTLISTED for the 2022 Rubery Prize for Fiction"A remarkable book, visceral and philosophical in equal measure. The perfect combination of big ideas and a rattling good yarn. Hell of a read." - James Kinsley, author of Playtime's Over and Greyskin"Always convincing and placed authentically in its historical context. The believable, well-drawn characters, even Maria, who forms her own moral pathways, draw us in and earn our interest and sympathy, although some of the more gruesome details are not for the faint-hearted. The plot is intricate, full of action and very exciting with plenty of wonderful set pieces – a sinister secret organisation that has permeated all levels of society, a chase in a horse and carriage through the streets of London and a climax in the British Museum" -2022 Rubery Prize reviewIn the autumn of 1879, an intelligent, artificially-created being – outwardly a young woman called Maria – arrives in London under the protection of biologist Professor George Hobson. Hobson gathers a few close friends and reveals her existence, explaining that she is the final result of a research programme undertaken by a dynasty of unethical scientists, the von Frakkens – all now dead.Thrilling and evocative, fantastical and grotesque, The Workshop of Filthy Creation uses a Frankenstein-ian thread to stitch together elements of real scientific history with the darkest parts of Victorian London and speculation on the nature of human life.

Five Star Finalist in the Spring 2023 Readers’ Choice Book AwardsFinalist for the 2023 Page Turner AwardsA GLOBAL BANK IS HIDING A DARK SECRETAn AI algorithm has been secretly implanted into its computer system…A TERRIFYING NEW ADVANCE IN TECHNOLOGY…and this AI is good. Too good.Ethan, an introverted banker with a traumatic past, falls in love with Anna, an enigmatic scientist fascinated by the philosophy of consciousness.But with the reappearance of Ethan’s rogue brother Robert - a hacker who is forbidden from using technology - Anna's hypothetical ideas turn all too real.Robert and Anna transfer a conscious mind into Ethan’s trading algorithms. And when their experiment goes well - too well, in fact - Ethan finds himself on the run, searching for answers to Anna’s mysterious past.

“A symphonic masterpiece…Wringing a glorious & painful chorus of human voices from the mute facts of history – this is what fiction is for." - Alan Moore, author of Watchmen and V for Vendetta“An impressive piece of work. An unforgettable book.” - Historical Novel SocietyLeningrad 1941. German forces surround the city at the start of the most harrowing winter in its history. The siege becomes a battle for survival. Bodies fill the streets, and the crushing horror of cold, starvation and bone-deep fear is relentless.Set against this background of tragedy and suffering, a remarkable group of musicians — soldiers and civilians, all of whom have been wasted by war and hunger — come together to perform Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony. They scarcely have the strength to carry their instruments, but their performance of this haunting and defiant new piece provides a rare light of hope in the darkness. Friendship, love and a vibrant passion for music combine in this ambitious, absorbing and richly sensuous masterpiece.

Five Star Finalist in the Spring 2023 Readers’ Choice Book AwardsFinalist for the 2023 Page Turner AwardsA GLOBAL BANK IS HIDING A DARK SECRETAn AI algorithm has been secretly implanted into its computer system…A TERRIFYING NEW ADVANCE IN TECHNOLOGY…and this AI is good. Too good.Ethan, an introverted banker with a traumatic past, falls in love with Anna, an enigmatic scientist fascinated by the philosophy of consciousness.But with the reappearance of Ethan’s rogue brother Robert - a hacker who is forbidden from using technology - Anna's hypothetical ideas turn all too real.Robert and Anna transfer a conscious mind into Ethan’s trading algorithms. And when their experiment goes well - too well, in fact - Ethan finds himself on the run, searching for answers to Anna’s mysterious past.

Finalist for the Guild of Food Writers First Book AwardFive Star Finalist in the Spring 2023 Readers’ Choice Book AwardsFinalist for the 2023 Page Turner Awards"We all have imaginary lives, and if we are lucky we have a dish to go with them..."So begins the title story of Genevieve Jenner's debut short story collection: a ground-breaking anthology of magical-realist food writing.A Russian countess finds herself making borscht for her socialist Parisian neighbours; unknown office colleagues secretly exchange lunchtime delicacies and recipes via the work fridge; steak is cooked at midnight on a Friday to get around Catholic proscriptions; and a thrilling sexual awakening descends into a metaphor of tired sandwiches and squashed fruit.Chocolate Cake for Imaginary Lives is a book that the sexiest celebrity chef you can think of would take to read in bed, cackling in private recognition—but not just because it’s about the role of food at the centre of our lives. It’s also about the place of women in the world, the messiness of life, and the joy of snatched moments in the midst of chaos. With a wit and frankness that combines vulnerability and strength, all wrapped up in a package of stories that speak right to the soul, Genevieve Jenner writes about real and imaginary lives with poignance and authenticity.

“A symphonic masterpiece…Wringing a glorious & painful chorus of human voices from the mute facts of history – this is what fiction is for." - Alan Moore, author of Watchmen and V for Vendetta“An impressive piece of work. An unforgettable book.” - Historical Novel SocietyLeningrad 1941. German forces surround the city at the start of the most harrowing winter in its history. The siege becomes a battle for survival. Bodies fill the streets, and the crushing horror of cold, starvation and bone-deep fear is relentless.Set against this background of tragedy and suffering, a remarkable group of musicians — soldiers and civilians, all of whom have been wasted by war and hunger — come together to perform Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony. They scarcely have the strength to carry their instruments, but their performance of this haunting and defiant new piece provides a rare light of hope in the darkness. Friendship, love and a vibrant passion for music combine in this ambitious, absorbing and richly sensuous masterpiece.

LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI PRIZEAn encounter with an aristocratic couple changes everything...An intimate portrayal of an unlikely relationship that cuts across age and classBen's past was supposed to be behind him: debts paid, savings secured, and a collection of outrageous anecdotes that would amuse his friends for a lifetime. But under pressure from his escort agency for "one final favor," he now stands at a precipice, finger poised over a doorbell.There’s a moment’s pause before his finger makes reluctant contact. He can’t possibly know it, of course, but this doorbell, the last, changes his life forever...

LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI PRIZEAn encounter with an aristocratic couple changes everything...An intimate portrayal of an unlikely relationship that cuts across age and classBen's past was supposed to be behind him: debts paid, savings secured, and a collection of outrageous anecdotes that would amuse his friends for a lifetime. But under pressure from his escort agency for "one final favor," he now stands at a precipice, finger poised over a doorbell.There’s a moment’s pause before his finger makes reluctant contact. He can’t possibly know it, of course, but this doorbell, the last, changes his life forever...

FROM THE WINNER OF THE 2022 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR BEST HORRORSummer, 1868. London's West End buzzes with a chaotic blend of affluence and moral decay, a place where high society and underworld meet. A valuable box from Transylvania, sealed tight, falls into unscrupulous hands. Its opening releases a vampyr, a wraith-like parasite that hides inside a host – whether young or old, man or woman – and thirsts for human blood.For those who live and work around Holmwood's music hall, just off The Strand, the vampyr's arrival begins a nightmare of betrayal and death, and a race to return the creature to the grave before others of its kind come to pick the city clean.The Eater Of Flies leaves traditional vampiric lore behind, offering a chilling Victorian gothic tale laced with crime, pitch-dark humour and, above all, rampant greed: for money, for power … for blood.

FROM THE WINNER OF THE 2022 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR BEST HORRORSummer, 1868. London's West End buzzes with a chaotic blend of affluence and moral decay, a place where high society and underworld meet. A valuable box from Transylvania, sealed tight, falls into unscrupulous hands. Its opening releases a vampyr, a wraith-like parasite that hides inside a host – whether young or old, man or woman – and thirsts for human blood.For those who live and work around Holmwood's music hall, just off The Strand, the vampyr's arrival begins a nightmare of betrayal and death, and a race to return the creature to the grave before others of its kind come to pick the city clean.The Eater Of Flies leaves traditional vampiric lore behind, offering a chilling Victorian gothic tale laced with crime, pitch-dark humour and, above all, rampant greed: for money, for power … for blood.

"A lovely, immersive, elegiac novel for a lost way of life. I revelled in the author’s gorgeous descriptions of the natural world and her knowledge of the arts of dyeing cloth using native plants, and felt as if I learned a lot from her extensive research" - Jane Johnson, author of The Black Crescent and Court of LionsThe Binding meets Weyward in this evocative 17th-century page-turnerJoan’s future looks bleak, but her new skill gives it colour…When Joan discovers her father has drunk away the family’s money, she starts to master the beautiful but tough art of cloth-dying, desperate to save her family from poverty.As her success builds, her isolation grows too - her profession stirs whispers of witchcraft, and her rivalry with her sister, Alice, deepens. But she is determined to rebuild her family’s reputation and as the colours soak into her cloth, hope starts to seep into her life too.

"A lovely, immersive, elegiac novel for a lost way of life. I revelled in the author’s gorgeous descriptions of the natural world and her knowledge of the arts of dyeing cloth using native plants, and felt as if I learned a lot from her extensive research" - Jane Johnson, author of The Black Crescent and Court of LionsThe Binding meets Weyward in this evocative 17th-century page-turnerJoan’s future looks bleak, but her new skill gives it colour…When Joan discovers her father has drunk away the family’s money, she starts to master the beautiful but tough art of cloth-dying, desperate to save her family from poverty.As her success builds, her isolation grows too - her profession stirs whispers of witchcraft, and her rivalry with her sister, Alice, deepens. But she is determined to rebuild her family’s reputation and as the colours soak into her cloth, hope starts to seep into her life too.

"THE MATRIX" MEETS THE FOREVER WAR IN JAMES KINSLEY'S BREATHTAKING SCI-FI ACTION ADVENTURETwo worlds. One mind. Endless uncertainty.Jeff is stuck in the mundane now, drifting through aimless days and gnawing doubts. Until the moment he sees the Pale Woman—and reality shifts. Suddenly, he’s Jezz, a mercenary trapped in a savage conflict, battling swarms of alien insects on a war-torn front line.Is he a restless young man just scraping by, or a desperate soldier risking everything for humanity’s survival? As identities collide, one question rips through his fractured psyche:What is reality?'Parallels is a compact and compelling journey into the fractured mind of a man caught between worlds that will leave readers wanting more from the world that Kinsely has created. Vividly realised, the novel’s strengths lie in its intimate portrayal of a man teetering on the brink and delivers in its thought-provoking explorations of reality' - SciFiNow

"THE MATRIX" MEETS THE FOREVER WAR IN JAMES KINSLEY'S BREATHTAKING SCI-FI ACTION ADVENTURETwo worlds. One mind. Endless uncertainty.Jeff is stuck in the mundane now, drifting through aimless days and gnawing doubts. Until the moment he sees the Pale Woman—and reality shifts. Suddenly, he’s Jezz, a mercenary trapped in a savage conflict, battling swarms of alien insects on a war-torn front line.Is he a restless young man just scraping by, or a desperate soldier risking everything for humanity’s survival? As identities collide, one question rips through his fractured psyche:What is reality?'Parallels is a compact and compelling journey into the fractured mind of a man caught between worlds that will leave readers wanting more from the world that Kinsely has created. Vividly realised, the novel’s strengths lie in its intimate portrayal of a man teetering on the brink and delivers in its thought-provoking explorations of reality' - SciFiNow

FROM THE LUCY CAVENDISH 2020 FICTION PRIZE SHORTLISTED AUTHOR OF THE WATCHNO ONE COMES BETWEEN THIS MOTHER AND DAUGHTERGeorgie and her mother Cherry have had their ups and downs. But now they're devoted to each other – and when Cherry learns that she’s in the early stages of dementia, Georgie is with her every step of the way……Until she can't be. And that's when he steps into her mother's life. The one who's been waiting, watching, whispering.In turns deeply moving and deeply chilling, The Youngster is about one woman's spiralling descent when her mother is taken away from her by a damaged younger man.