{"title":"Historical Fiction","description":"\u003cp\u003eDive into our Historical Fiction collection — a curated selection of books designed to spark joy and inspire readers of all ages.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"9780349435473","title":"The Paris Agent : Inspired by true events, an emotionally compelling story of courageous women in World War Two","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor:  Rimmer, Kelly \u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eHistorical romance\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003ch5\u003ePublished on 11 April 2024 by Little, Brown Book Group (Piatkus Books) in the United Kingdom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaperback | 352 pages\u003cbr\u003e197 x 126 x 24 | 236g\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan, this emotionally compelling novel is inspired by real-life female WWII agents including Violette Szabo and Diana Rowden, whose incredible stories have never before been brought to readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwenty-five years after the end of the year, ageing British SOE operative Noah Ainsworth is reflecting on the secret agent who saved his life when a mission went wrong during his perilous, exhilarating years in occupied France. He never knew her real name, nor whether she survived war. His daughter Charlotte begins a search for answers. What follows is the story of Fleur and Chloe, two otherwise ordinary women who in 1943 are called up by the SOE for deployment in Frances. Taking enormous risks with very little information or resources, the women have no idea they're at the mercy of a double agent within their ranks who's causing chaos.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs Charlotte's search for answers continues, new suspicions are raised about the identity of the double agent, with unsettling clues pointing to her father.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e.......................................\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePraise for Kelly Rimmer:'The German Wife is a heart-wrenching, uplifting story about love and family and the choices we make in impossible situations' CHRISTINE WELLS'Once again, Kelly Rimmer has turned my emotions upside down' SALLY HEPWORTH'A fast-paced, emotional and utterly riveting tale of love, loss and the choices we make to protect our families - a must-read' KRISTIN HARMEL'Kelly Rimmer's heart-stopping rendering of the war in Nazi-occupied Poland-of life, resistance, survival, and love-will captivate readers' LISA WINGATE\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Darling Reads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48367182840132,"sku":"9780349435473","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0827\/1265\/8244\/files\/787c3fbb0aa3ee9cfca1ffbd9a976f02.png?v=1752763792"},{"product_id":"9781787302907","title":"The Shadow Key","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor:  Stokes-Chapman, Susan \u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eThriller \/ suspense\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003ch5\u003ePublished on 18 April 2024 by Vintage Publishing (Harvill Secker) in the United Kingdom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHardback | 464 pages\u003cbr\u003e163 x 242 x 45 | 696g\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'An alluring, immersive Gothic mystery from an impressively talented writer…. A simmering, splendid novel' Jennifer SaintThere’s something devilish going on in the quiet Welsh village of Penhelyg. Will the shadow key unlock its dark secrets?After a grave mistake, Henry Talbot has been forced to take an unappealing position as a village doctor in remote Wales where he can't speak the language and belief in myth and magic is rife. When Henry discovers his predecessor died in mysterious circumstances, and starts to notice an arcane symbol appearing in odd places, he sets out to find answers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Henry meets the lady of the manor, Linette Tresilian, he finds her vexingly unhelpful at first. She seems to know little about the shelves of occult books he notices in her family’s library. 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If you like my books, then you’ll love [this]’ Laura Shepherd-Robinson'A gripping, beautifully executed historical thriller, full of arcane magic and Welsh mythology' Rosie Andrews'A tale of chilling suspense, occult secrets and cunning folklore that delicately captures that entanglement of the Welsh landscape and the myths that inhabit it' Cari Williams\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Darling Reads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48367233073476,"sku":"9781787302907","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0827\/1265\/8244\/files\/96ea686d90936aa704cd86abfd2bb6e2.png?v=1752764797"},{"product_id":"9780008499129","title":"Weyward","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor:  Hart, Emilia \u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eModern \u0026amp; contemporary fiction (post c 1945)\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003ch5\u003ePublished on 15 February 2024 by HarperCollins Publishers (The Borough Press) in the United Kingdom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaperback | 384 pages\u003cbr\u003e129 x 198 x 26 | 258g\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePRE-ORDER EMILIA HART'S STUNNING NEW BOOK THE SIRENS NOW\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e OVER 700,000 COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e As seen on BBC’s BETWEEN THE COVERS\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘Humming with a sly, exhilarating magic’ BRIDGET COLLINS\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘A much-heralded epic’ OBSERVER\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Empowering’ GLAMOUR\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Three women, five centuries, one spellbinding story\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  In the present day, Kate flees a traumatic relationship to the Cumbrian cottage she inherited from her great-aunt; but the cottage hides secrets of its own.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e In 1942, Violet rebels against her father’s ideas of a ‘proper young lady’ . . . until he takes matters into his own hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e In 1619, Altha is on trial for witchcraft, implicated in the gruesome death of a local man.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Three women they tried to cage – but Weyward women belong to the wild. 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An inspired approach to writing about life and love' *****'One of my top ten best reads of the year'*****\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Darling Reads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48374252110148,"sku":"9781804991862","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0827\/1265\/8244\/files\/2e0d4cf4abfea02d0b376236d3de3a60.png?v=1752765535"},{"product_id":"9781509836215","title":"A Thousand Ships : Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor:  Haynes, Natalie \u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAncient Greece\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003ch5\u003ePublished on 27 May 2020 by PAN MACMILLAN (Picador) in the United Kingdom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaperback | 368 pages\u003cbr\u003e196 x 129 x 24 | 264g\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePowerfully told from an all-female perspective, in A Thousand Ships, broadcaster and classicist Natalie Haynes retells the story of the Trojan War - putting the women, girls and goddesses at the centre of the story.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor fans of Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles and Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis was never the story of one woman, or two. 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J. \u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eHistorical mysteries\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003ch5\u003ePublished on 14 March 2024 by HarperCollins Publishers (Hemlock Press) in the United Kingdom as part of 'the Giordano Bruno' series.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaperback | 480 pages\u003cbr\u003e198 x 130 x 30 | 330g\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe new historical crime thriller, a Sunday Times bestseller, perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Hilary Mantel\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Prague, 1588.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  A COURT IN TURMOIL\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The court of the Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II, is a haven for scientists, astrologers and alchemists. The dream – to discover the philosopher’s stone and attain immortality. But now there are rumours of heresy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e A MURDERED ALCHEMIST\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Giordano Bruno is sent to Prague as a spy for Elizabeth I. 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READER REVIEW'The last few pages will easily become tear soaked. I loved every minute of this book' ? ? ? ? ? READER REVIEW'A lyrical, insightful re-telling' - Daily Mail'If you like Madeline Miller's Circe and Song of Achilles, you will eat up Ariadne [. . .] Saint makes it a page-turner' - Glamour'Exquisitely written and exceptionally moving, this is a mythical retelling to savour.' - Elodie Harper, author of THE WOLF DEN'ARIADNE gives voice to the misused Princess of Crete who betrayed her father to save Theseus from the Minotaur. Relevant and revelatory.' - StylistAriadne, Princess of Crete and daughter of the fearsome King Minos, grows up hearing stories of gods and heroes. But beneath the golden palace something else stirs, the hoofbeats and bellows echoing from the Labyrinth below. Every year its captive, the Minotaur - Ariadne's brother - demands blood.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne sees in him her chance to escape. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that drawing the attention of the mercurial gods may cost her everything.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne's decision to risk everything for love ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover's ambition?ARIADNE gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths. 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The ending 5 pages of this book killed me.' ? ? ? ? ?'So real, so matter of fact, like a good chat on a girls' night out.' ? ? ? ? ?\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Darling Reads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48374253551940,"sku":"9781472273901","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0827\/1265\/8244\/files\/4cd26b56103c9414826727397efd3703.png?v=1752765550"},{"product_id":"9781472292179","title":"Atalanta : In a world of heroes, meet Greek mythology’s fiercest heroine","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor:  Saint, Jennifer \u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eModern \u0026amp; contemporary fiction (post c 1945)\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003ch5\u003ePublished on 4 January 2024 by Headline Publishing Group (Wildfire) in the United Kingdom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaperback | 384 pages\u003cbr\u003e129 x 197 x 30 | 268g\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe heroic story of the only female Argonaut, told by Jennifer Saint, the bestselling author of ATALANTA (UK, Sunday Times, April 2023) ELEKTRA (UK, Sunday Times, May 2022) and ARIADNE (UK, Sunday Times, April 2021).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Brilliantly evocative' Women \u0026amp; Home | 'A spirited retelling' Times | 'Beautiful and absorbing' Fabulous | 'A vivid reimagining of Greek mythology' Harper's Bazaar | 'Jennifer Saint has done it again' Red | 'Jennifer Saint can do no wrong' GlamourWhen a daughter is born to the King of Arcadia, she brings only disappointment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeft exposed on a mountainside, the defenceless infant Atalanta, is left to the mercy of a passing mother bear and raised alongside the cubs under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSwearing that she will prove her worth alongside the famed heroes of Greece, Atalanta leaves her forest to join Jason's band of Argonauts. 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Up there with Hilary Mantel!' *****'A great well researched novel' *****'Brilliantly researched, gorgeously plotted and blessed with a terrific cast of exquisitely drawn characters' *****'Well written and engaging characters' *****'Ian Ross writes with a class and style that leaves the reader or listener thirsting for more' *****'Brilliantly researched, gorgeously plotted and blessed with a terrific cast of exquisitely drawn characters' *****'A gripping tale of early England' *****'A really good story, brought to life by an excellent narrator' *****\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Darling Reads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48374254010692,"sku":"9781399708876","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0827\/1265\/8244\/files\/1e40ba70033fabdf8c7a764997cb31a7.png?v=1752765563"},{"product_id":"9781526602503","title":"Bone China : A gripping and atmospheric gothic thriller","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor:  Purcell, Laura \u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eHorror \u0026amp; ghost stories\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003ch5\u003ePublished on 2 April 2020 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (Raven Books) in the United Kingdom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaperback | 448 pages\u003cbr\u003e211 x 308 x 25 | 310g\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA Daphne Du Maurier-esque chiller set on the mysterious Cornish coast, from the award-winning author of The Silent Companions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Du Maurier-tastic' GUARDIAN'Deliciously sinister' HEAT 'A clever, creepy read' SUNDAY EXPRESS Consumption has ravaged Louise Pinecroft’s family, leaving her and her father alone and heartbroken. 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On a hill overlooking Bell Village sits the Changoor farm, where Dalton and Marlee Changoor live in luxury unrecognisable to those who reside in the farm’s shadow. Down below is the barrack, a ramshackle building of wood and tin, divided into rooms occupied by whole families. Among these families are the Saroops – Hans, Shweta, and their son, Krishna, who live hard lives of backbreaking work, grinding poverty and devotion to faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  When Dalton Changoor goes missing and Marlee’s safety is compromised, farmhand Hans is lured by the promise of a handsome stipend to move to the farm as watchman. 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Beyond Ithaca's shores, the whims of gods dictate the wars of men. But on the isle, it is the choices of the abandoned women - and their goddesses - that will change the course of the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'The greatest power we women can own is that which we take in secret.'Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the isle of Ithaca. None of them has returned, and the women of Ithaca have been left behind to run the kingdom.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  Penelope was barely into womanhood when she wed Odysseus. While he lived, her position was secure. But now, years on, speculation is mounting that her husband is dead, and suitors are beginning to knock at her door.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  No one man is strong enough to claim Odysseus's empty throne - not yet. 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