Fiction - Saraband

The Call of the Cormorant Donald S Murray

[trim]“An intriguing and engaging novel based on the life of a real man … I would recommend [it] to anyone wanting something memorably different to read.” Undiscovered Scotland[/trim]

Death Drop Claire MacLeary

[trim]'A terrific writer.' Kirsty Gunn[/trim]

Fossils Alison Armstrong

[trim]“Compelling. The prose bubbles and snaps with an energy that’s as changeable as its teen protagonist … a stunning, important novel about poverty and hopelessness, compassion and resilience.” Emily Devane[/trim]

Case Study Graeme Macrae Burnet

[trim]"A riveting psychological plot ... tortuous, cunning ... clever." Kate Webb, The Times Literary Supplement[/trim]

Castles from Cobwebs J.A. Mensah

[trim]'[An] extraordinary debut … changes with every reading, like the sea, deep and light, or the flicker of spidersilk … a book to be cherished and shared.' VAHNI CAPILDEO[/trim]

Case Study Graeme Macrae Burnet

[trim]"A riveting psychological plot ... tortuous, cunning ... clever." – KATE WEBB, THE TLS[/trim]

Approval John D. Rutter

[trim]“John Rutter's Approval is many things at once. A powerful meditation on judgement. A transfixing fable of a Kafka-esque application process. A complex tragedy about fatherhood. But it's also a simple, affecting and beautifully wrought story of one couple's journey towards what they most desire – a child – and the cost of reaching out for one. A hugely promising debut.” – RODGE GLASS[/trim]

Shocked Earth Saskia Goldschmidt

[trim]“One of my favourite books of [the year]: it was one of those rare books that I kept thinking about while I wasn’t reading it … It’s an absolute cracker … this book’s humanity is precisely where its power lies.” Helen Vassallo, Translating Women[/trim]

In a Veil of Mist Donald S Murray

[trim]“A moving portrait of a place and its people … a quiet, sad but brilliant novel.” Antonia Senior, Times, Book of the Month in best historical fiction, March 2021.[/trim]

Castles from Cobwebs J.A. Mensah

[trim]‘[I was] gripped by Castles from Cobwebs from the first page – with its arresting opening, lyricism, and unconventional narration. There are moments of real beauty and clarity in the prose, especially around race, a subject handled skilfully and thoughtful by the author. There is something real, powerful, and unique in this debut.’ Chitra Ramaswamy[/trim]

The Lyre Dancers Mandy Haggith

[trim]"Convincing, provocative … evoked with lyrical detail … triumphantly draws together all the threads … while successfully eluding any simplistic resolution." Margaret Elphinstone, Northwords Now[/trim]

The Unreliable Death of Lady Grange Sue Lawrence

[trim]“A compelling narrative … fitting current trends in historical fiction, where women’s history is centralised and new light shed on their position in the past … An enjoyable read.” Historical Novels Review[/trim]

Payback Claire MacLeary

[trim]“A well written, excellently executed book. Dark, dangerous and full of suspense. If you enjoy detective drama this one is for you.” Cen-sational Reads[/trim]

Dead Ringer Nicola Martin

[trim]“What a cracking debut! Tense, thrilling, thought-provoking.” Alex Kane, author of No Looking Back[/trim]

The Amber Seeker Mandy Haggith

[trim]"Brave and fascinating … asks questions about the nature of truth, perspective, and the power of the narrator to influence where readers’ sympathies lie." Alistair Braidwood, Scots Whay Hae[/trim]

As the Women Lay Dreaming Donald S Murray

[trim]“A searing poetic meditation on stoicism and loss.” Mariella Frostrup, BBC Radio 4 Open Book[/trim]