Kate Atkinson's latest novel is a sharp and witty murder mystery, taking place in the 1950s. When Harry Flynn, returning from a career as a war journalist, comes back to Britain, his attempts to restart his life falter when he becomes one of the lead suspects in a murder. With the help of a capricious 13 year old and a scruffy terrier, he must uncover the mysteries that have started to form around him.

There's a lot of chatter going round about Under Story, the latest novel from the author of The Immortalists. An ode to our planet, hope and second chances, it begins at an Antarctic research station, where scientist have discovered an unnatural glow on the ice. A scientific epic that unspools across time and space, securing Benjamin as one of our most gifted storytellers.

Return to the twisty world of Big Little Lies, where a dark secret hides in every perfect image. This is Moriarty's first ever sequel and early reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Set 10 years after the events of the first book, a human finger is sent to the school principal, and with it secrets thought buried begin to rise to the surface again.

 

There are many questions swirling around Rachel Cusk's latest novel; is it really an unauthorized memoir of actress Natalie Portman and if so, what are the ethics of a novelist mining their real life interactions for content? Beyond that, the book itself is typical of Cusk - cold, incisive and cutting, holding a mirror to the way in which we construct selves and our individual worlds. 

The third book in the Gabriel Dax series, Boyd's accidental spy is once again in the thick of the Cold War. This latest chapter is set in a dangerous Moscow set to explode. Boyd is one of the worlds most beloved authors and this late career move to spy fiction has been a tremendous success; you can feel how much fun he is having on every page.

Ko tēnei pukapuka mō ngā tauira ahua mōhio o Te Reo Māori. 

 

A pukapuka of short stories, orignally written in Te Reo Māori for intermediate learners - with a handy kupu hou glossary at the bottom of each page. 

 

He pakipoto whakaihiihi, he mea titi ki te ngākau hoki mō Aotearoa o nāianei. 

Northern Irish-born, Kiwi by choice, Nic’s lived through cancer, the death of her three-year-old daughter, Kenzie, Parkinson’s, and a heart transplant – yet, somehow, she still gets up swinging.

Bollix is Nic’s no-nonsense and, at times, darkly funny memoir of survival, swearing and starting again when life refuses to play fair. Bold, brave and brilliantly human, this book is a masterclass in resilience.

Silvia Cartwright is one of our most impressive New Zealanders - she was Governor General, the country's first female High Court Judge, a high profile international judge in Cambodia and led the inquiry into medical malpractice of Cervical Cancer patients. In her memoir, she details the challenges of breaking through glass ceilings and the lessons learnt through decades in the public service. A warm, genuine and often very funny examination of a truly impressive life.

There is no recipe quite like an Ottolenghi recipe. The most popular chef of the decade returns with a follow up to 2018s Simple. Expect delights on every page and a new collection of recipes to add to your meal roster.

In an unnamed city, the gardeners are fighting the academics for spiritual control of the community. Against this backdrop our narrator - who provides one of the most cynical narrative voices I've read in a long time - begins a strange and faltering search for meaning. Wonderfully gothic and unapologetically abstract, The Vivisectors is a beautiful story of growth, mould and rot. A little gem of a book.

David, a retired excutive with dementia, is flying to Switzerland to take part in the assisted dying program. It's a challenging premise but one that Cline pulls of with tremendous grace-- regret, expired hopes, dreams and enduring loves all jump off the page. Through it all, memories recede and come to the fore, building a slippery and changing portrait of a life lived. This novel is a quite remarkable achievement.

Raw, gritty and sprawling, The Disappearers is an exploration of homophobia in Jamaica; the intensity of the hatred that fueled it and the scars that still linger. It's an incredible albeit challenging read, one that only James could write. An early favourite for the Booker which would see him pick up his second win.

The lead singer of Shihad recounts a legendary career as one of New Zealand's most successful musicians. Full of ups and downs, Toogood is equally honest about his mistakes as he is of his successes. A wonderful memoir from a man whose songs have inspired so many over the years.

A mix of Louis Theroux and Tiger King, Jon Ronson comes across the most unbelievable story after his son has a strange late-night encounter at a castle. 
Investigative reporting that tells a wild story and also informs on masculinity today, with Ronson's trademark self deprecation and wit.

 

Highly entertaining! 

The latest in Richard Osman's We Solve Murders series travels to Italy; expect more bodies, secrets and twists. No one does cosy crime quite like Osman and his latest will certainly be one of the years biggest books.

When the organist of Dunedin's St Paul's Cathedral falls to their death, everyone dismisses it as accidental apart from two people: a disgraced investigative journalist and a low ranking policeman more comfortable with filing cabinets than people. 

 

An exciting new local murder mystery.

 

We're giving this novel an extra boost due to its late arrival to the shop. 

 

For fans of Dominic Hoey, Shilo Kino and Becky Manawatu, this book is drawn from personal experience and is an emotional exploration of the mental health of Māori men and the effect on the community surrounding them.

 

One of our best historians takes on the many afterlives of James Cook-- how his legacy has evolved and changed. With it, we can see a reflection of our history, the stories and myths that build a nation and the people and groups that are thereby left behind. Necessary reading for everyone with an interest in NZ history.

One of the world's most celebrated economists hones in on liberal democracy: it's roots, evolution and why it seems to be failing in today's Western World. For anyone that thinks the world is currently balancing on an unsteady precipice (which is probably most of us).

One for the sci-fi readers! A searing examination of totalitarianism, Swan's latest novel imagines a far future universe controlled entirely by a fascist empire. One woman sets out to build something remarkable on a new planet--with the help of an unlikely group of allies--a true democracy. 

Fifty years ago, Eric Idle, a key member of the legendary Monty Python, purchased a dilapidated house in Provence. This beguiling and (predictably) very funny memoir details his attempt to make it the perfect home. Needless to say, for every success there are a dozen hilarious disasters. 

The award-winning historians and podcast duo behind The Rest is History bring their characteristic expert analysis and contagious enthusiasm for the past to this dissection of some of the most divisive and influential figures of history. This book proves that the line between heroic and villainous is often more tenuous than you think. Great gifting for history buffs.

Speaking of villains! Betrayal charts the collapse of the post-1945 international system, in which Trump threatens to seize Greenland and bombs Iran, while Putin forges a bloody campaign to obliterate and erase Ukraine from the world map. Reporter Luke Harding goes to the frontline to talk with those directly affected by a world order in collapse. This is compelling and thrilling war reporting at its finest. Perfect for dads with a finger on the pulse of world politics.

David Bowie was a man of many lives, influences, Gods, and passions. How to define a person and an artist who seems to elude simple categorisation, shape-shifting along the axes of genre, style, and sound? Peter Ormerod, a journalist and writer as fascinated with religion as he is with Bowie, looks to the “search for a spiritual foundation” that Bowie claimed to have “kept coming back to”, a common thread woven through his decades-long career. Fascinating reading for Bowie fans.