Searle has fun with the office politics of the intelligence world, and is thoughtful about the ethics of espionage . . . it seems something akin to poetry can be the best medium for expressing the practicalities of the hard-nosed business of espionage.

Meticulously plotted, with wonderfully drawn characters and an elegant prose style that makes this every bit as compelling as Searle's stirring debut

A thought-provoking read that bursts with tension

A spy thriller with extra authority

Former intelligence officer turned crime writer Searle is stepping into the gap left by John le Carré

An assured thriller debut in the footsteps of le Carré, Highsmith and Rendell

This is set to be one of the books of the year that will get everyone talking ... you will have your socks knocked, nay, blown off

All the ingredients are in this book...You're in safe hands with Searle's elegant writing

Unbearably tense

'It reminded me strongly of John le Carré ... this is high praise'

A fine crime writer of Chandlerian subtlety though in a vein of sheer toughness very much his own

That he could channel this pain and misery into some of the greatest crime novels ever written is a testament to his skill as a writer and his spirit as a man. If this is the first Chester Himes novel you will read then, believe me, you are in for a treat.

He belongs with those great demented realists ... whose writing pitilessly exposes the ridiculousness of the human condition

Hieronymus Bosch meets Miles Davis

Chester Himes is the great lost crime writer, as well a great American dissident novelist per se, and an essential witness to his times. Every one of his beyond-cool Harlem novels is cherished by every reader who finds it.

Claire Fuller strikes the perfect balance between beauty and melancholy, in this relevant and powerful exploration of isolation and life on the fringes of society

Unsettled Ground shares with Fuller's previous works themes of closely guarded family secrets and homes built upon shaky foundations

This literary thriller is as moving and poignant as it is compelling

These memorable characters will worm their way into your head and heart the descriptions of the landscape are beautiful

A historical episode artfully adapted in a tale that offers glimmers of hope for women discarded by society

Wonderful, evocative, moving and suspenseful

A vivid, cleverly-crafted mystery that will keep the reader turning the pages

It's a fantastically exciting story, and a wonderful novel. There is so much more going on, on the Rajah, in this unity of women, than a simple love story

Transforms an actual 19th-century sea voyage of female convicts into a striking drama. The ship's young matron chooses a group to sew a presentation quilt, but near their destination, someone stabs one of the quilters. Evocative sketches of those on board reveal the realities of poor women's lives - readers will be rewarded

A murder mystery with a great twist at the end . . . Gripping

Dangerous Women is a successful blend of two genres: a historical novel, inspired by real events, and a murder mystery with a great twist at the end. By the time I was halfway through I was completely gripped, and couldn't put it down

An enthralling narrative . . . lays bare the painful lives of these women, far from their homes and loved ones, and feeling the brutal weight of the law

This atmospheric narrative excels in its depiction of the relationship between female prisoners - largely petty criminals - and the tragic backstories that have brought them together

Packed with atmosphere . . . a terrific read

A very fine novel - and, like the quilt it celebrates, a work of love

Utterly compelling and as finely wrought as the patchwork quilt that inspired the story

Fascinating. Gives women without one a voice - a storming read

A compelling, immersive book that deftly weaves its beauty and pathos. I'm still thinking about it

An enthralling story, inspired by true events

A secret murder on a convict ship transporting women to Australia in 1841 . . . this is an intriguing story, with its root embedded in facts

Intriguing . . . [Hope Adams] can stitch a great story

In vivid detail, Hope Adams illuminates life in convict quarters on a stinking, storm-soaked ship, and delves into the lives of individual women and the small tragedies that have condemned them to be sent far away, with little hope of return

A well-paced page-turner illuminating a forgotten story that reminds us how far we have come

Pulls you into the heart of its story, while celebrating redemption, rehabilitation and the good in people. All set to the backdrop of a truly fascinating slice of history

Historical events and characters are cleverly blended into a thought-provoking tale

Adams disguises a social-history lesson on women's rights as a gripping period drama