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Closure Limited

Written in his trademark style, these tales combine horror, drama, and socio-political commentary to explore the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Stories range from a company staffed by human survivors, offering gory revenge on their former zombie attackers, to a vampire who realises too late that he will have nothing left to drink as zombies wipe out his human blood supply.

The Ornatrix

Flavia was born with a birthmark marring her face in the shape of a bird in flight. A dyer’s daughter, she grows up in a secluded little house in the woods, away from prying eyes. Ashamed of the mark, her mother forces Flavia to conceal her face behind a veil. But on the night before her younger sister’s wedding, Flavia does something drastic, something that will draw her into a much wider and stranger world than she could have imagined: the convent of Santa Giuliana, just outside the city walls. There she meets Ghostanza, a courtesan turned widow, whose white-lead painted face entrances Flavia, and whose beauty and cruelty are unmatched. Flavia becomes her ornatrix: her hairdresser and personal maid.

But as white-lead paint rots the flesh below it, the bustling city, and Santa Giuliana, is rotting below the shimmer of wealth and privilege. And Flavia is drawn into a world of desire and jealousy that has devastating consequences. Set in sixteenth century and painted against a vivid historical Italian landscape, rich in description and character and with themes and characters relevant to today, it tackles issues of belonging, female identity and the perception of beauty. It cannot fail to move.

The Devil in the Valley

In his quiet Vermont home, a man named Taft sits and wonders what’s missing from his life. He’s at a loss until a strange voice startles him from the rocking chair, where a stranger has seemingly appeared out of nowhere: well-dressed and smooth-talking, this man offers Taft the chance to have anything he’s ever wanted-for a price. So begins The Devil in the Valley, the latest novel from critically acclaimed author Castle Freeman, Jr. Combining his deft hand for the supernatural with his classic setting of rural Vermont, Freeman gives us a story that touches on temptation and greed, and explores what we’re willing to trade to obtain the things we most desire. A modern fable that explores the supernatural while staying rooted deeply in our world, The Devil in the Valley is a powerful novel from a master at his craft.

Twenty Something

‘Twenty Something’ introduces us to Jack Lancaster, who, at only 25 is far too young to be having a mid-life crisis, but who’s going to have a pretty good shot at it anyway.

‘A tasty dollop of British wit’ Boston Globe

Recorded Attacks

ORGANISE BEFORE THEY RISE!

Max Brooks, the world’s leading zombie authority, reveals how other eras and cultures have dealt with – and survived – the ancient viral plague. From the Stone Age to the information age, the undead have threatened to engulf the human race. They’re coming. They’re hungry. And only the prepared will survive.

This is the graphic novel that fans demanded, featuring major zombie attacks across human history: on the African savannas, against the legions of ancient Rome, and on the high seas alongside Francis Drake. Complete with eye-popping artwork that pulsates with the grisly faces of the undead, Recorded Attacks is an essential part of the World War Z collection.

The Cry of the Immortals

AN IMMORTAL FOUND DEAD
AN IMMORTAL RUN THROUGH
AN ANCIENT HERITAGE UNDER THREAT

The death of a 16-year-old, dressed as an ‘Immortal Knight’ and having taken a fatal overdose, proves a perplexing case in the ancient city of Tours. Juge d’instruction Matthieu Lombard is brought in to lead the investigation.

When the adolescent’s death is followed a few weeks later by the gruesome murder of a firebrand author, Lombard senses a malign coercive force behind the two fatalities, one that succeeds in challenging his own loyalties and assumptions.

What is it that is nagging at Lombard, locked away in the past? What soon becomes clear is that this game is beyond roleplay. It is deadly.

The third book in the gripping new crime series from The Times-bestselling author.

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