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An Exclusive Extract From Nadine Dorries' New Book

04 Jul 2018 - 03:07

We are so excited to be publishing Nadine Dorries’ newest book Shadows in Heaven.

Nadine's wonderful new novel is rooted in one of the places dearest to her heart – the west coast of Ireland.

In post-war Tarabeg, two women are waiting for ambitious Michael Malone to return home. Rosie is the local schoolteacher and most people think she is promised to him. Just a few have guessed that he has secretly begun to woo Sarah, whose brutal fisherman father would kill her if he knew.

Both Rosie and Sarah love Michael, both hope to become his wife and their lives will interweave in a tale of tangled secrets, old promises and new feuds. Michael Malone's choice will have fateful consequences for everyone – especially, in due course, for his young daughter.

This is the first in a new sequence of novels with a brilliant new cast of characters and a story that will lead to Liverpool in Mary Kate and back to Ireland in The Seven Acres.

Shadows in Heaven is out in hardback on 12 July 18. Read below for an extract.

The birth of the skyscraper

29 Jun 2018 - 02:06

Chicago's beautiful Reliance Building, sixteen storeys tall, was designed in 1890 by John Root and completed in 1895 by Charles B. Atwood. In its construction – metal frame, large areas of plate glass, fire-proof brick and terracotta cladding – it pioneers all the key elements of twentieth-century high-rise architecture, and many of the tenets of Modernism.

In Skyscraper, Dan Cruickshank reflects on the extraordinary architectural, artistic and engineering world of the 1890s and tells the story of Gilded Age Chicago, which was burned to the ground in 1871. The city – corrupt, violent and fabulously wealthy – was ready to try anything, even revolutionary forms of architecture.

Skyscraper is out now in hardback. Read below for an extract:

Kate Mascarenhas brings The Psychology of Time Travel to life

28 Jun 2018 - 11:06

Kate Mascarenhas is not only an exceptional new writer, but also a brilliant creative with a skill in recreating her worlds as dioramas. Here she shares some beautiful scenes from The Psychology of Time Travel.

What is the summer solstice and why do we celebrate it?

21 Jun 2018 - 10:06

Today the sun rose in the United Kingdom at 4.43am and won't set until 9.31pm. This means that the UK will enjoy 16 hours and 38 minutes of sunlight, making today the longest day of the year. This day when the sun is at its highest point in the sky and the Earth's axis is most turned towards it is known as the summer solstice. For thousands of years, Pagans have celebrated both the summer and the winter solstices, which mark the dates of planting and harvesting, at Stonehenge. But why?

You’ve closed the stable door after the horse has bolted, but what happens when it gallops back?

20 Jun 2018 - 09:06

Love affairs, village rivalries, horses, jealousy and secrets – bestselling author Fiona Walker makes a triumphant return to her classic territory with her new novel, The Country Set.

At the heart of picturesque Compton Magna is the stud farm owned by Captain Jocelyn Percy. Twenty-five years ago, his only child abandoned husband and children for her lover. She’s about to return, and sparks are set to fly.

In a village where passionate love affairs, bitter rivalries and dark secrets delight, only one woman has the full set, and she’s taking the reins…

Waterloo 203 years on

18 Jun 2018 - 10:06

The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18th June 1815, 203 years ago today. A French army under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by two of the armies of the Seventh Coalition: an Anglo-led allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington, and a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Prince of Wahlstatt. This resulted in Napoleon's exile to the remote island of Saint Helena and an unambiguous end to the First French Empire and the political and military career of one of the greatest commanders and statesmen in history.However, the victory at Waterloo was a narrow one, and perhaps should have belonged to the commander of a superb army of 128,000 troops with only seven losses amid the 60 battles he had fought.

In her new novel, False Lights, K. J. Whittaker imagines what might have happened had Napoleon emerged victorious from that fateful battle.

Books for Father's Day

15 Jun 2018 - 12:06

With Father’s Day fast approaching (it’s this Sunday) we have put together a little list of books to help those looking for last minute gift inspiration!

Celebrating a year of Zephyr

07 Jun 2018 - 01:06

It only seems like five minutes ago since we started the Zephyr list, but we're now just over a year old and what a fabulous year it has been! We have launched several debut authors, published future classics from best-selling authors, received several brilliant accolades and seen our authors shortlisted for major prizes. We really couldn't have asked for more! And we hope that this has set the tone for many more years of Zephyr books.

And as we are this far in, we thought it might be a great time to introduce you to the full Zephyr team, plus get the team to talk about their favourite books from the list so far:

Tour de France

07 Jun 2018 - 06:06

The most prestigious of the cycling Grand Tours, the Tour de France is an annual multiple stage bicycle race primarily held in France. It was first held in 1903, and the 104th edition kicks off today with an individual time trial in Düsseldorf.

A Celebration of World Environment Day

05 Jun 2018 - 11:06

Happy World Environment Day! To celebrate and show our support, we’ve put together a list of our favourite books about the natural world…

Alex Dahl introduces The Boy at the Door

29 May 2018 - 12:05

Author Alex Dahl walks through her gripping new novel, The Boy at the Door.

What lurks underneath...

18 May 2018 - 06:05

Ex-journalist Kay and her family are spending the summer in a rented farmhouse in Vermont. Kay is haunted by her traumatic past in Africa, and is struggling with her troubled marriage and the constraints of motherhood. Then her husband is called away unexpectedly on business and Kay finds herself alone with the children, obsessed by the idea that something terrible has happened to the owners of the house. The locals are reticent when she asks about their whereabouts; and she finds disturbing writing scrawled across one of the walls.

Painted Cities- A preview of illustrations

17 May 2018 - 07:05

Lorna Brown is an artist specialising in watercolour architectural paintings that represent something other than just bricks and mortar. With a keenness for adventure, she likes to hunt for new places to paint; buildings with character and story that represent the people who have occupied these spaces in the past, present and future.

Lorna has travelled around the world to produce this collection of illustrations of street art in urban landscapes. Visiting London, Bristol, Helsinki, Berlin, Cairo, Bethlehem, New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Christchurch, Melbourne, Painted Cities demonstrates how the architecture shapes the unique street art in each city and tells the story of the painters and people who live there.