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‘Brilliant, bold and beautifully articulated’ Karl J. Friston, Professor of Neuroscience, University College London

Neuroscientist Nikolay Kukushkin reveals the miracle by which consciousness evolved out of the natural world, from the birth of the cell to the majesty of our modern minds.

Science says that you are nothing but a chemical reaction – a collection of atoms and molecules – like rocks, paperclips and everything else in the physical universe. But if that’s so, where is the place in this world for your consciousness? In a word, why does it feel so special to be you?

Like the Zen Buddhist riddle pondering the imponderable – the sound of a single hand clapping – this book asks the seemingly unanswerable question of how the human mind came to exist within the material world. In search of an answer, neuroscientist Nikolay Kukushkin takes readers on a billion-year journey through time from the roots of our existence to the advent of Homo sapiens, reimagining the story of our evolution. The result is an exhilarating book that embeds our consciousness within a single, unified story of life on Earth.

A work of ambitious intellectual scope, One Hand Clapping is distinguished as much by its originality as by the breadth of its imaginative reach – drawing from neuroscience, evolution, philosophy and a rich tapestry of cultural references, all brought to life by the author’s own illustrations. Told with the drama and daring of a mythical epic, it reaches deep into our oceanic past to show for the first time how the entire course of Earth’s history, from the earliest non-living particles, ultimately led to the formation of our own minds.

Privilege, sex, scandal, and murder.


The new novel from Sunday Times-bestselling author James Frey.

‘Will be the novel on every beach towel this summer, all summer, everywhere’ Esquire

‘A deliriously over-the-top portrait of decadence on the brink’ Bustle

‘A Connecticut sex romp-cum-murder mystery’ Vanity Fair

Behind every great fortune, lies a great crime – Honoré de Balzac

New Bethlehem, Connecticut. Picture-perfect lawns, manicured hedges, multi-million dollar homes. But beneath the designer yoga gear and country club memberships lies a darker reality.

In this world of excess, Devon and Belle have it all – beauty, money, status. But they want something more. Something dangerous. Something that makes them feel alive. Their solution? A party – a meticulously curated gathering of New Bethlehem’s elite, from a desperate ex-NFL quarterback to a hockey coach with a penchant for married women, and a ruthless Wall Street ‘closer’ who wields his wealth like a weapon.

One night. Multiple betrayals. And a murder that will shatter New Bethlehem’s carefully constructed facade.

Fans of The White Lotus and Big Little Lies will be drawn into the dark underbelly of the American Dream – a world where money can buy anything, until it ruins everything.

READERS ARE THRILLED, UNSETTLED AND SEDUCED

‘Sharp, provocative … Captivates with its blend of dark humour and social commentary’

‘Dark, disturbing and funny’

‘Transcends simple categorization – part thriller, part social satire, part moral fable – and the result is both entertaining and deeply unsettling’

‘A mix of wit, mystery and dark undertone … I couldn’t put it down … Perfect pool side reading’

‘I deeply loved this book … the ending slaps’

‘Super fun and sexy summer read! Rich people behaving badly’

‘Astounding … A haunting tale of guilt’ The Telegraph, Five Star Review

‘An unforgettable portrait of a singular woman and her frenzied efforts to launder her unsavoury past’ Literary Review

‘A harrowing but elegantly constructed rot-riddled family romance’ Financial Times

‘Devastatingly effective’ The Times

‘In her debut novel, a historian of Vichy France tackles her family’s real-life collaboration during the Second World War’ New Yorker Best Books of the Year

‘Full of so many secrets that it’s a wonder she managed to write it all’ New York Times

‘Shows why historical fiction matters, how stories breathe life into forgotten moments … Haunting’ Cara Black, author of Three Hours in Paris

In a grand Paris apartment, a young girl attends gatherings regularly organised by her mother. They talk about clothes and exchange the day’s gossip, but the mood grows dark when they start to talk about her past, and the great love she is said to have known during the Second World War.

When the girl grows up, she looks into the enigmatic figures in and around her family. Who was the man her mother fell in love with before the war? Why did they zealously collaborate with the Nazi occupiers of France? And why did they remain for decades afterwards obsessive devotees of that lost cause?

In The Propagandist, a historian of Vichy France investigates the secrets, lies and omissions in her own family in the way she has investigated those of France itself. It is a masterpiece of psychological insight, revealing how people can spend a lifetime deceiving themselves, rather than confront their own past.

READER REVIEWS

‘A brilliant piece of fiction that unequivocally deserves five stars’

‘Beautifully written’

‘Nearly impossible to set down’

‘Fascinating and complex’

‘Satisfyingly violent’ The Times, Best Crime Fiction of 2025 So Far

‘Sprightly and elegantly written mystery’ The Daily Telegraph

‘A marvellous literary thriller’ Clare Chase

‘A clever and refreshing take on the mystery novel’ Jo Silva

In post-war Oxford, secrets lie behind every door.

In 1947, with rationing still biting and the black market thriving, university don C.S. ‘Jack’ Lewis finds himself pulled into a mystery straight from one of his friend Dorothy Sayers’ novels. Susan Temple, his brightest student, has hidden herself away at Rake Hall — a hostel for unmarried, outcast mothers – and hasn’t been heard from since.

With no experience beyond catching the occasional student plagiarist, Lewis is hardly a detective. But when Susan’s absence continues to haunt him, he teams up with her concerned friend Lucy and together they delve into the disturbing rumours of a nasty racket at Rake Hall. Can Lewis’s nose for the truth separate fact from fiction?

In The Mystery at Rake Hall, Maureen Paton – whose mother lived at the real-life Rake Hall while pregnant with Maureen – brilliantly recreates a post-war Oxford world, as well as imagining an alternative life for one of its most famous residents.

RAVE READER REVIEWS

‘A superb, sexy sequel to Presumed Innocent’ Sunday Times

‘A legend of suspense fiction’ Steve Cavanagh

‘The master of the courtroom drama’ Daniel Silva

‘A writer with few peers in any genre’ David Baldacci

Daily Mail Books to Watch 2025

The Times Best Thrillers of 2025 So Far

In a sequel to Presumed Innocent, the book that redefined the legal thriller, judge and lawyer Rusty Sabich returns to the courtroom to defend his step-son against a racially-charged murder indictment as the boy’s life – and perhaps Rusty’s last chance at happiness – hang in the balance.

Rusty is a retired judge attempting a third act in life with a loving soon-to-be wife, Bea, with whom he shares both a restful home on an idyllic lake in the rural Midwest and a plaintive hope that this marriage will be his best, and his last. But the peace that’s taken Rusty so long to find evaporates when Bea’s young adult son, Aaron, living under their supervision while on probation for drug possession, disappears. If Aaron doesn’t return soon, he will be sent back to jail.

Aaron eventually turns up with a vague story about a camping trip with his troubled girlfriend, Mae, that ended in a fight and a long hitchhike home. Days later, when she still hasn’t returned, suspicion falls on Aaron, and when Mae is subsequently discovered dead, Aaron is arrested and set for trial on charges of first degree murder.

Faced with few choices and even fewer hopes, Bea begs Rusty to return to court one last time, to defend her son and to save their last best hope for happiness. For Rusty, the question is not whether to defend Aaron, or whether the boy is in fact innocent – it’s whether the system to which he has devoted his life can ever provide true justice for those who are presumed guilty.

5* READER REVIEWS

‘Absolutely brilliant’

‘Scott Turow at his very best’

‘A great legal thriller … Kept me riveted’

‘Fantastic. It will draw you in from the first page’

‘Scott Turow is the master of the legal, court room drama’

‘A masterpiece – one of the best legal thrillers I have read’

‘This is what you call a proper legal thriller’

‘Highly readable … Everything we need to know on this subject’ Financial Times

‘Fascinating’ Geographical Magazine

‘A must read for anyone wanting to understand the forces shaping our world’ Eliza Filby

‘A compelling argument for having more children’ New Statesman

A population calamity is unfolding before our eyes. It started in parts of the developed world and is spreading to the four corners of the globe. There are just too few babies being born for humanity to replace itself.

Leading demographer Paul Morland argues that the consequences of this promise to be calamitous. Labour shortages, pensions crises and ballooning debt threaten to engulf us all, and sooner than we think. Unless we radically change our attitudes towards parenthood and embrace a new progressive pro-natalism, argues Morland, we face disaster.

Financial Times Best Summer Books of 2023

‘Essential reading’ Tony Blair

A revelatory, myth-dispelling exploration of China’s juggernaut economy

Although China’s economy is one of the largest in the world, Western understanding of it is often based on dated assumptions and incomplete information. In The New China Playbook, Keyu Jin burrows deep into the mechanisms of a unique system, taking a nuanced, clear-eyed, and data-based look inside. From the far-reaching and unexpected consequences of China’s one-child policy to the government’s complex relationship with entrepreneurs, from its boisterous financial system to its latest push for technological innovation, Jin reveals the frequently misunderstood dynamics at play.

China is entering a new era, soon to be shaped by a radically different younger generation. As it strives to move beyond the confines of conventional socialism stained by shortages and capitalism hindered by inequality, the world is about to witness the emergence of a completely new dynamic between two diametrically opposite systems. The thorough understanding of China’s playbook that Jin provides will be essential for anyone hoping to interpret the nation’s future economic and political strategy. While China’s rise on the world stage has stirred a wide range of emotions, one thing is certain: a deep understanding is essential for successfully navigating the global economy in the twenty-first century.

A riveting story about uncovering family secrets and the power of forgiveness, set in India and the United States, from the bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club pick Honor

‘A heart-warming tale of love and friendship, redemption and forgiveness’ Mail on Sunday

Remy Wadia left India for the United States long ago, carrying his resentment of his mother with him. He has now returned to Bombay for the first time in several years to adopt a baby. Discovering that his elderly mother is in the hospital and seems to have given up on life, he is struck with guilt over his long absence.

As Remy’s mother begins communicating and family secrets unravel, Remy is forced to re-evaluate everything he has known …

‘A compassionate and insightful exploration of judgement, forgiveness and understanding’ Lisa Ko

‘Thrilling, propulsive and terrifying’ Simon Sebag Montefiore

THE SECOND NOVEL FROM FORMER CIA OFFICER, THE REST IS CLASSIFIED PODCAST CO-HOST AND THE SUNDAY TIMES-BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE SEVENTH FLOOR AND ***THE TIMES THRILLER OF THE YEAR*** DAMASCUS STATION (‘One of the best spy thrillers in years’ THE TIMES)
FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOKS OF 2024

SHORTLISTED IN THE NED KELLY AWARDS 2025

FOURTH NOVEL THE PERSIAN AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW

A daring CIA operation threatens chaos in the Kremlin.
But can Langley trust the Russian at its center?

CIA operatives Sia and Max enter Russia to recruit Vladimir Putin’s moneyman. Sia works for a London firm that conceals the wealth of the super-rich. Max’s family business in Mexico – a CIA front since the 1960s – is a farm that breeds high-end racehorses. They pose as a couple, and their targets are Vadim, Putin’s private banker, and his wife Anna, who is both a banker and an intelligence officer herself…

PRAISE FOR MOSCOW X:

‘The most authentic depiction of CIA deep cover operations you’ll find in print’ – John Sipher, Former CIA Senior Operations Officer

‘A terrific read, cementing McCloskey in my mind as the best spy fiction writer since le Carré’ – Nicholas Kristof, New York Times

‘Spellbinding … An electrifying read. I could not put it down’ – Clarissa Ward, CNN Chief International Correspondent

RAVE READER REVIEWS:

‘Moves at a ripping pace. A terrific, unputdownable page-turner’

‘A page-turner, the pace is frantic … Superb fun’

‘A barnstorming tour de force. I loved it!’

‘Literary hand grenades, raising difficult questions about the world in which we live’ – Guardian

In the sixteen stories of The Not-Dead and The Saved, Kate Clanchy turns her clear gaze and remarkable honesty on what it means to be a mother or a child; to struggle alone; to seek comfort in love; to be present; to be sane.

Lithe prose and crackling wit carry us from comedy to tragedy and back again, and create a bold cast of characters that includes even a few delightfully famous names.

The much-lauded title story won the BBC National Short Story Award in 2009, and the collection as a whole more than delivers on that promise. It celebrates Kate Clanchy’s gift for clarity, empathy and surprise, and confirms her as one of the finest writers of our time.