The Return

Her best friend disappeared. A stranger came back. SEX AND THE CITY MEETS STEPHEN KING'S THE SHINING IN THIS CHILLING DEBUT Julie is missing, and no one believes she will ever return-except Elise. Elise knows Julie better than anyone. She feels it in her bones that her best friend is out there and that one day Julie will come back. She's right. Two years to the day that Julie went missing, she reappears with no memory of where she's been or what happened to her. Along with Molly and Mae, their two close friends from college, the women decide to reunite at a remote inn. But the second Elise sees Julie, she knows something is wrong-she's emaciated, with sallow skin and odd appetites. And as the weekend unfurls, it becomes impossible to deny that the Julie who vanished two years ago is not the same Julie who came back. But then who-or what-is she? An eerie storm of a debut that fuses thriller and horror into a brilliant depiction of women's friendships - the rivalries, jealousies, anxieties and love . Praise for THE RETURN ' The Return expertly treads the fine line between thriller and horror . It's as deliciously creepy as opening up a box of candy-coated spiders-and eating them all in one sitting' Christina Dalcher, bestselling author of Vox 'Combining suspense and horror with razor-sharp insights into the nature of female friendships, Rachel Harrison's The Return is a creepy, nerve-wracking, page-turning addition to the emerging field of horror thrillers' Alma Katsu, award-winning author of The Hunger ' The Return is moving and terrifying in equal measure. A brilliant rumination on friendship , pain, and the myriad of unsuccessful ways we all try to run from our past and fill the holes in our hearts. Harrison's keen prose won't let you go . Be warned, you'll double check the locks on your doors before you try to sleep' Mallory O'Meara, author of The Lady from the Black Lagoon 'By turns scary and funny , horrifying and real , The Return is impossible to put down. It takes an honest, scathing look at female friendship while at the same time pulling the reader into a perfect nightmare of a story ' Simone St. James, bestselling author of T he Sun Down Motel ' The Return is supernatural horror at its very best ! Sharp dialogue, complex relationships and mind-bending action will have readers locking their doors and checking under their beds. Rachel Harrison has reinvented this genre and will surely be hailed as a pioneer among her peers' Wendy Walker, bestselling author of The Night Before ' Hair-raising horror and pure entertainment in Harrison's compulsively readable debut . . . The tension and nuance of Harrison's complicated female friendships add depth to an already delicious, chilling debut ' Publishers Weekly 'Fusing horror and thriller together, it's an unsettling tale of rivalry , envy , fear , friendship and love ' Culturefly's Books of 2020

'A beautiful book, story, piece of history. From the haunting tones of the flamenco to a country ravaged by fanaticism. Hardly a day goes past since finishing this book that I don't think about some aspect of it. One of the best books I have read in a long time' Real Reader Review, Granada's cobbled streets resonate with music and secrets and Sonia Cameron is here to dance. She knows nothing of the city's past. But in a quiet café, a chance conversation and a collection of photographs draws her into the tale of Spain's devastating civil war. Seventy years earlier, the café is home to the Ramírez family, when Franco's army coup shatters the fragile peace and they witness the worst atrocities of conflict. Divided by politics and tragedy, everyone must take a side, as Spain rips itself apart. Discover for yourself why 10 million readers and critics worldwide love Victoria Hislop's books . . . ' The Return aims to open the eyes and tug the heartstrings . . . Hislop deserves a medal for opening a breach into the holiday beach bag' The Independent ' The Return should be required holiday reading for anyone going to Spain' Daily Mail 'Executed with verve and sensitivity' Sunday Telegraph 'A gripping read' Woman & Home 'Dramatic and immediate . . . keeps you reading at breakneck speed right to the end' Sunday Express 'A powerful read' Real Reader Review, 'Victoria Hislop spins the emotional tale of one family and the horrors the war caused to them, and other families . . . a great story of hope, determination and love' Real Reader Review, 'A vivid story . . . interwoven with history and human resilience and determination' Real Reader Review, 'A wonderfully evocative tale of life before, during and after the Spanish Civil War . . . Fantastic' Real Reader Review, *Victoria Hislop's most recent novel, THE FIGURINE, is out now.*

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE IN BIOGRAPHY WINNER OF THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FOR AUTOBIOGRAPHY WINNER OF THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES' TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2016 The Return is at once a universal and an intensely personal tale. It is an exquisite meditation on how history and politics can bear down on an individual life. And yet Hisham Matar's memoir isn't just about the burden of the past, but the consolation of love, literature and art. It is the story of what it is to be human. Hisham Matar was nineteen when his father was kidnapped and taken to prison in Libya. He would never see him again. Twenty-two years later, the fall of Gaddafi meant he was finally able to return to his homeland. In this moving memoir, the author takes us on an illuminating journey, both physical and psychological; a journey to find his father and rediscover his country. 'A beautifully-written memoir that skillfully balances a graceful guide through Libya's recent history with the author's dogged quest to find his father' Barack Obama Hisham Matar's new novel My Friends is available now!

'A beautiful book, story, piece of history. From the haunting tones of the flamenco to a country ravaged by fanaticism. Hardly a day goes past since finishing this book that I don't think about some aspect of it. One of the best books I have read in a long time' Real Reader Review, Granada's cobbled streets resonate with music and secrets and Sonia Cameron is here to dance. She knows nothing of the city's past. But in a quiet café, a chance conversation and a collection of photographs draws her into the tale of Spain's devastating civil war. Seventy years earlier, the café is home to the Ramírez family, when Franco's army coup shatters the fragile peace and they witness the worst atrocities of conflict. Divided by politics and tragedy, everyone must take a side, as Spain rips itself apart. Discover for yourself why 10 million readers and critics worldwide love Victoria Hislop's books . . . ' The Return aims to open the eyes and tug the heartstrings . . . Hislop deserves a medal for opening a breach into the holiday beach bag' The Independent ' The Return should be required holiday reading for anyone going to Spain' Daily Mail 'Executed with verve and sensitivity' Sunday Telegraph 'A gripping read' Woman & Home 'Dramatic and immediate . . . keeps you reading at breakneck speed right to the end' Sunday Express 'A powerful read' Real Reader Review, 'Victoria Hislop spins the emotional tale of one family and the horrors the war caused to them, and other families . . . a great story of hope, determination and love' Real Reader Review, 'A vivid story . . . interwoven with history and human resilience and determination' Real Reader Review, 'A wonderfully evocative tale of life before, during and after the Spanish Civil War . . . Fantastic' Real Reader Review, *Victoria Hislop's most recent novel, THE FIGURINE, is out now.*

Everyone has gone away... We too should no longer be here. Luanda, 1975. The Angolan War of Independence has been raging for at least a decade, but with the collapse of the Salazar dictatorship, defeat for the Portuguese is now in sight. Thousands of settlers are fleeing back to Portugal to escape the brutality of the Angolan rebels. Rui is fifteen years old. He has lived in Luanda all his life and has never even visited the far-away homeland - although he has heard many stories. But now his family are finally accepting that they too must return, and Rui is filled with a mixture of excitement and dread at the prospect. But just as they are leaving for the airport, his father is taken away by the rebels, and the family must leave without him. Not knowing if the father is alive or dead - or if they will ever find out what has become of him, Rui, his mother and sister try to rebuild their lives in their new home. This turns out to be a five star hotel in a quiet, seaside suburb of Lisbon, where returnee families are crammed into luxurious rooms by the dozen. These palatial surroundings are a cruel contrast with the reality of returnee life. The hotel becomes a curious form of purgatory as the families wait to discover what will become of them - ever conscious of the fact that they are hardly welcome back in their homeland. Rui has his own personal struggle with his new life: growing up, dropping out of school, facing discrimination, and the ever-present worry over his mother's deteriorating health and his father's fate. And then one night Rui's father returns from the dead. Translated from the Portuguese by Ángel Gurría-Quintana

Everyone has gone away... We too should no longer be here. Luanda, 1975. The Angolan War of Independence has been raging for at least a decade, but with the collapse of the Salazar dictatorship, defeat for the Portuguese is now in sight. Thousands of settlers are fleeing back to Portugal to escape the brutality of the Angolan rebels. Rui is fifteen years old. He has lived in Luanda all his life and has never even visited the far-away homeland - although he has heard many stories. But now his family are finally accepting that they too must return, and Rui is filled with a mixture of excitement and dread at the prospect. But just as they are leaving for the airport, his father is taken away by the rebels, and the family must leave without him. Not knowing if the father is alive or dead - or if they will ever find out what has become of him, Rui, his mother and sister try to rebuild their lives in their new home. This turns out to be a five star hotel in a quiet, seaside suburb of Lisbon, where returnee families are crammed into luxurious rooms by the dozen. These palatial surroundings are a cruel contrast with the reality of returnee life. The hotel becomes a curious form of purgatory as the families wait to discover what will become of them - ever conscious of the fact that they are hardly welcome back in their homeland. Rui has his own personal struggle with his new life: growing up, dropping out of school, facing discrimination, and the ever-present worry over his mother's deteriorating health and his father's fate. And then one night Rui's father returns from the dead. Translated from the Portuguese by Ángel Gurría-Quintana

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE IN BIOGRAPHY WINNER OF THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FOR AUTOBIOGRAPHY WINNER OF THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES' TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2016 The Return is at once a universal and an intensely personal tale. It is an exquisite meditation on how history and politics can bear down on an individual life. And yet Hisham Matar's memoir isn't just about the burden of the past, but the consolation of love, literature and art. It is the story of what it is to be human. Hisham Matar was nineteen when his father was kidnapped and taken to prison in Libya. He would never see him again. Twenty-two years later, the fall of Gaddafi meant he was finally able to return to his homeland. In this moving memoir, the author takes us on an illuminating journey, both physical and psychological; a journey to find his father and rediscover his country. 'A beautifully-written memoir that skillfully balances a graceful guide through Libya's recent history with the author's dogged quest to find his father' Barack Obama Hisham Matar's new novel My Friends is available now!

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Covenant and Lux series comes a novel of danger, Gods and Titans... and an electric love story which will send you reeling. "You're just...you're just Seth." "And you...you're just my salvation." A year ago, Seth made a deal with the gods - and pledged his life to them. Now, Apollo has a task for Seth: one which sees him playing protector over a beautiful, feisty girl who's strictly off-limits. And for someone who has a problem with restraint, this assignment might be Seth's most challenging yet. Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy's deal is, but he arrives in her life just as everything she's ever known is turned upside down. Either she's going insane, or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is heading her way. Josie can't decide which is more dangerous: an angry Titan seeking vengeance? Or the golden-eyed, secretive Seth - and the white-hot attraction developing between them... Return to the world of Jennifer L. Armentrout's enthralling Covenant series an unputdownable spinoff following Seth's sweeping romance... TROPES Forbidden romance Strong FMC Gods and demigods Powers Spice JOIN THE READERS WHO HAVE FALLEN HARD FOR JLA'S ADDICTIVE TITAN SERES The Return was amazing. Absolutely, brilliantly done amazing...Seth and Josie made this book. I KNEW IT!!!! I BLOODY KNEW IT!!! A BOOK FROM SETH'S POV!! WOOHOO!!! A perfect blend of action, drama, romance (like, real and steamy romance) yay! SETH!!? OH MY GOD, MY POOR BABY SETH!! MIND. BLOWN. Just, WOW! I never expected to love this so much. I never thought I would love Seth this much! Emotionally gripping and powerful.

Her best friend disappeared. A stranger came back. SEX AND THE CITY MEETS STEPHEN KING'S THE SHINING IN THIS CHILLING DEBUT Julie is missing, and no one believes she will ever return-except Elise. Elise knows Julie better than anyone. She feels it in her bones that her best friend is out there and that one day Julie will come back. She's right. Two years to the day that Julie went missing, she reappears with no memory of where she's been or what happened to her. Along with Molly and Mae, their two close friends from college, the women decide to reunite at a remote inn. But the second Elise sees Julie, she knows something is wrong-she's emaciated, with sallow skin and odd appetites. And as the weekend unfurls, it becomes impossible to deny that the Julie who vanished two years ago is not the same Julie who came back. But then who-or what-is she? An eerie storm of a debut that fuses thriller and horror into a brilliant depiction of women's friendships - the rivalries, jealousies, anxieties and love . Praise for THE RETURN ' The Return expertly treads the fine line between thriller and horror . It's as deliciously creepy as opening up a box of candy-coated spiders-and eating them all in one sitting' Christina Dalcher, bestselling author of Vox 'Combining suspense and horror with razor-sharp insights into the nature of female friendships, Rachel Harrison's The Return is a creepy, nerve-wracking, page-turning addition to the emerging field of horror thrillers' Alma Katsu, award-winning author of The Hunger ' The Return is moving and terrifying in equal measure. A brilliant rumination on friendship , pain, and the myriad of unsuccessful ways we all try to run from our past and fill the holes in our hearts. Harrison's keen prose won't let you go . Be warned, you'll double check the locks on your doors before you try to sleep' Mallory O'Meara, author of The Lady from the Black Lagoon 'By turns scary and funny , horrifying and real , The Return is impossible to put down. It takes an honest, scathing look at female friendship while at the same time pulling the reader into a perfect nightmare of a story ' Simone St. James, bestselling author of T he Sun Down Motel ' The Return is supernatural horror at its very best ! Sharp dialogue, complex relationships and mind-bending action will have readers locking their doors and checking under their beds. Rachel Harrison has reinvented this genre and will surely be hailed as a pioneer among her peers' Wendy Walker, bestselling author of The Night Before ' Hair-raising horror and pure entertainment in Harrison's compulsively readable debut . . . The tension and nuance of Harrison's complicated female friendships add depth to an already delicious, chilling debut ' Publishers Weekly 'Fusing horror and thriller together, it's an unsettling tale of rivalry , envy , fear , friendship and love ' Culturefly's Books of 2020

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Covenant and Lux series comes a novel of danger, Gods and Titans... and an electric love story which will send you reeling. "You're just...you're just Seth." "And you...you're just my salvation." A year ago, Seth made a deal with the gods - and pledged his life to them. Now, Apollo has a task for Seth: one which sees him playing protector over a beautiful, feisty girl who's strictly off-limits. And for someone who has a problem with restraint, this assignment might be Seth's most challenging yet. Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy's deal is, but he arrives in her life just as everything she's ever known is turned upside down. Either she's going insane, or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is heading her way. Josie can't decide which is more dangerous: an angry Titan seeking vengeance? Or the golden-eyed, secretive Seth - and the white-hot attraction developing between them... Return to the world of Jennifer L. Armentrout's enthralling Covenant series an unputdownable spinoff following Seth's sweeping romance... TROPES Forbidden romance Strong FMC Gods and demigods Powers Spice JOIN THE READERS WHO HAVE FALLEN HARD FOR JLA'S ADDICTIVE TITAN SERES The Return was amazing. Absolutely, brilliantly done amazing...Seth and Josie made this book. I KNEW IT!!!! I BLOODY KNEW IT!!! A BOOK FROM SETH'S POV!! WOOHOO!!! A perfect blend of action, drama, romance (like, real and steamy romance) yay! SETH!!? OH MY GOD, MY POOR BABY SETH!! MIND. BLOWN. Just, WOW! I never expected to love this so much. I never thought I would love Seth this much! Emotionally gripping and powerful.