Darkness Rising


A.A. Dhand - 2020
    His team is facing government cuts, tensions are building between Bradford’s two rival drugs gangs and his wife Saima is due to give birth any day now.So when bodies start turning up in the old industrial district, the pressure is on to get the case wrapped up as quickly as possible, or risk a full-scale gang war.But the man behind the murders is ruthless and pushy. And things are getting personal. Harry must think fast and bend the rules if he wants to keep his city, and his family, safe . . .

Wish You Were Dead


Peter James - 2021
    Roy Grace and his family have left Sussex behind for a week’s holiday in France. The website promised a grand house, but when they arrive the place is very different from the pictures. And it soon becomes clear that their holiday nightmare is only just beginning. An old enemy of Roy, a lowlife criminal he had put behind bars, is now out of jail – and out for revenge. He knows where Roy and his family have gone on holiday. Of course he does. He’s been hacking their emails – and they are in the perfect spot for him to pay Roy back . . .

Saving the Day


Katie Fforde - 2021
    It is the sort of place where she'd really like to work.Then one day she sees as advert on the door: assistant wanted. But before she can land her dream job, Allie knows she must achieve two things:1. Learn to cook2. End her relationship with Ryan, especially as through the window of the café, she spies a waiter who looks much more like her type of man.And when she learns that the café is in danger of closing, Allie knows she must do her very best to save the day ...

A Fresh Start (Quick Reads) (Quick Reads 2020)


Fanny BlakeIan Rankin - 2020
    From wronged wives to nosy neighbours, from distant dads to new-found family, from secrets to lies, fresh starts to false endings - and everything in between... A collection of brilliant short stories from the best writers around.This collections contains original stories from Fanny Blake, Louise Candlish, Mike Gayle, Mari Hannah, Sophie Kinsella, Jojo Moyes, Adele Parks, Ian Rankin, Mahsuda Snaith and Keith Stuart.

The Skylight


Louise Candlish - 2021
    She likes to stand at her bathroom window and spy on the couple downstairs through their kitchen skylight. She knows what they eat for breakfast and who they’ve got over for dinner. She knows what mood they’re in before they even step out the door. There’s nothing wrong with looking, is there?Until one day Simone sees something through the skylight she is not expecting. Something that upsets her so much she begins to plot a terrible crime…From the author of Our House, the British Book Awards Crime & Thriller of the Year

Cut Off: Quick Reads


Mark Billingham - 2018
    But, for Louise, losing hers in a local café takes her somewhere much darker.After many hours of panic, Louise is relieved when someone gets in touch offering to return the phone. From then on she is impatient to get back to normal life.But when they meet on the beach, Louise realises you should be careful what you wish for... If you enjoyed Cut Off, try Love Like Blood, the latest novel in the series starring Mark Billingham's detective hero, DI Tom Thorne.

Dead Simple


Harry Bingham - 2017
    A woman reports a crime to the police, with unexpected resultsThe grieving widow who finds that she's about to lose more than just her husband When a man attempts the perfect murder, it's not quite as easy as he thinksTwo men in prison play a deadly game of ScrabbleA young woman tries to trick an old man and gets more than she bargained forSometimes crimes are solved in ways you can't explain A murderer about to be hanged finds that's not the worst thing that can happenYou never know who's going to turn up at your door Original stories from Mark Billingham, Clare Mackintosh, James Oswald, Jane Casey, Angela Marsons, Harry Bingham, Antonia Hodgson and CL Taylor - specially written for Quick Reads.

If You Were Here


Alice Peterson - 2019
    The truth is, I have a potential bomb in my bag, and who knows when or where it will go off’   When her daughter Beth dies suddenly, Peggy Andrews is left to pick up the pieces and take care of her granddaughter Flo. But sorting through Beth’s things reveals a secret never told: Beth was sick, with the same genetic condition that claimed her father’s life, and now Peggy must decide whether to keep the secret or risk destroying her granddaughter’s world.   Five years later, Flo is engaged and ready to pack up her life and move to New York with her high-flying fiancé. Peggy never told Flo what she discovered, but with Flo looking towards her future, Peggy realises it’s time to come clean and reveal that her granddaughter’s life might also be at risk.   As Flo struggles to decide her own path, she is faced with the same life-altering questions her mother asked herself years before: If a test could decide your future, would you take it?  An emotional, inspiring and uplifting novel about living life to the fullest, IF YOU WERE HERE will break your heart and put it back together. The brand new novel from the acclaimed author of A Song for Tomorrow, perfect for fans of Hannah Beckerman, Dani Atkins and Jill Mansell

The Little Dreams of Lara Cliffe: Quick Reads 2020


Milly Johnson - 2020
     It’s three weeks before her wedding to ’Steady Freddie’, one of the kindest men on the planet.  But something is worrying Lara. Her friends say it’s wedding jitters, but she isn’t so sure.  Fifteen years ago the love of her life, Danny Belfont, walked out on her three weeks before their wedding and she has never been able to fully get him out of her heart.   Then, on the overnight ferry, Lara finds out that Danny is playing in the onboard band and he spots her in the crowd. Will she meet him the next night to talk?   As the wonderful city of Amsterdam works its magic on Lara, she tries to sort out her thoughts.  And if fate has brought Lara and Danny back together … is it really for love or for something quite different?

Clean Break


Tammy Cohen - 2018
    Her husband Jack has a temper on him, and has been an absent father for years. Kate knows it's time for a divorce. The trouble is, Jack refuses. And now that he has found out Kate has met another man, his jealous rages escalate. Can Kate rid herself of her jealous husband before it's too late?

The Great Cornish Getaway


Fern Britton - 2018
    They both know what it’s like to feel that you need a break from life, and they bring the village together to keep their stranger’s secret. It’s not long before he’s helping some of the villagers find the answers to their own problems. In return, they find a place for him in their hearts. Pendruggan: A Cornish village with secrets at its heart This delightful Quick Read from Sunday Times bestselling novelist Fern Britton is full of her usual warmth and wit. It is the perfect way to treat yourself to a gorgeous escape to Cornwall.

On The Rock: Quick Read (Quick Read 2016)


Andy McNab - 2016
    They’ve had word of a planned attack. That’s why he’s back here, opposite some suit who’s trying to tell him what he needs to do. But he knows exactly what’s required.Four men. Plain clothes. Eyes peeled.Three targets. Two cases. One car.Gibraltar isn’t an ideal location. Too many people. Too many blind alleys. But then again, he’s not the terrorist. Who knows what goes through their minds? Well, he will soon. If everything goes to plan.

The Donor


Clare Mackintosh - 2020
    But what does she want in return? When Lizzie's daughter Meg is given a life-saving heart transplant, Lizzie feels hugely grateful to the nameless donor. Then she receives a letter from the donor's mother, Karen, asking to meet, and it seems like the least she can do.But as soon as Karen is welcomed into their lives, Lizzie feels something isn't right. And before long, she can't help but worry that by inviting Karen in, she might have put Meg in danger . . .

One False Move (Quick Reads 2017)


Dreda Say Mitchell - 2017
    Perfect for fans of Mandasue Heller and Kimberley Chambers. 'Dreda Say Mitchell is right up there at the forefront of British crime fiction' Simon Kernick Hayley swore when she got out of prison that she would turn her life around. But living on the Devil's Estate doesn't make that easy. She spends her days looking after her daughter, and her nights collecting cash from people who can't get loans any other way. But someone has just robbed her. And she has twenty-four hours to get the money back, or her boss will come for her. Her criminal ex-boyfriend says he can help. Hayley wants nothing to do with him. But time is running out, and she has to choose - save herself, or save her soul?If she makes one false move, her life will be over...

Four Warned


Jeffrey Archer - 2014
    He is, however, confused . . .In Russia, businessman Richard plots the ideal way to murder his wife. He begins to have a clever idea when his hotel warns him: Don't Drink the Water from the taps.And as Diana, a busy single mother, drives to have dinner with friends, she realises that a black van is following her. Soon terrified for her life, she does whatever it takes to stick to the warning given to drivers: Never Stop on the Motorway . . .Every reader will have their favourite story – some will make you laugh, others will bring you to tears. And, as always, every one of them will keep you spellbound.Quick Reads is a World Book Day initiative.