The Distant Hours

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We are delighted to announce that within the next two weeks we will launch a brand new website which will be much fresher and aesthetically pleasing than our current site. Additionionally, the site will be easier to use and ordering will be improved and faster to complete.

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The News Where You Are by Catherine O'Flynn

THE NEWS WHERE YOU ARE: CATHERINE O’FLYNN

The News Where You Are: Catherine O’Flynn

THE award-winning debut from Catherine O’Flynn, What Was Lost, won the Costa first novel award

Set in the Midlands it is about loss, focusing on the impersonal world of a shopping mall.

O’Flynn’s second novel is also set in the Midlands but is about remembrance. Frank Allcroft is a presenter on the local TV news programme Heart Of England Reports. Frank is something of a local legend, not through any journalistic scoop but because of the terrible jokes he uses as links between items.

He inherited these, along with their writer Cyril, from his predecessor Phil Smethway, who died 15 years before in a hit-and-run accident. Where Phil was smooth and charming, Frank is clumsy and awkward. While that might seem to be a problem it has actually boosted ratings.

Instead of becoming desensitised Frank is interested in the stories of those who die alone. He becomes the lone mourner at funerals. The death of one man on a park bench leads Frank to unravel the mystery of Phil’s accident.

Frank also has his own family to think about. His grumpy mother is ensconced in an old people’s home and his daughter Mo is a constant source of youthful enquiry.

Frank wants her to see some of the buildings designed by her architect grandfather and Frank’s need to protect his father’s legacy taps into the book’s major theme. It means a journey to confront his own father’s passing and why it is that he doesn’t see himself as his parents’ most important legacy.

While this second book lacks some of the sharp observation of the first its gentle wit and melancholy are beguiling.

Viking, £12.99

DAVID HEADLEY (The Daily Express 2 July 2010)

Rupture by Simon Lelic

Rupture is a debut novel by a remarkable writer, Simon Lelic. It is a brilliantly plotted detective novel that kept me hooked right until the end. Lelic writes crisp and engaging prose. Set in a north London secondary school, Samuel Szajkowski walks into morning assembly and shoots dead three pupils and a teacher before shooting himself. Detective Inspector Lucia May is expected to report quickly and close this terrible case. However, she gradually discovers that Szajkowski is not the evil psychopath that the media and authorities claim. As Lucia takes the witness statements she uncovers an extraordinary story which is as shocking as it is gripping. A brilliant debut which will appeal to fans of We Need to Talk about Kevin. Don't miss it.

Goldsboro Books' Bestsellers of 2009

1. The Library of Shadows

Hardback published exclusively for Goldsboro Books.

2. The Coroner

The first in a brilliant new series featuring Jenny Cooper.

3. The Compaints

The first novel by Ian Rankin featuring a new protagonist, another Edinburgh copper, Malcom Fox.

4. The Best of Men

English Civil War, ten years in the making, The Best of Men is a thoroughly satisfying historical novel in the vein of C J Sansom.

5. Acts of Violence

A powerful and shocking literary thriller, and without doubt my favourite thriller of 2009.

6. Mr Toppit

Who is Mr Toppit? With pitch-black humour this extraordinary debut is a delight.

7. The Swansong of Wilbur McCrum

The best first line of any book I have read in the last ten years. Love it, love it, love it.

8. Assegai

Perfect for Wilbur Smith fans.

9. Martyr

Clements has a real sense for the Elizabethan period, with a thrilling plot, this is an excellent start to a brand new series.

10. Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks

This includes two short stories never before published, and offers a fascinating insight in to her writing.

11. The Angel's Game

Shadow of the Wind was an exceptional debut, and The Angel's Game picks up years later to deliver an enchanting follow up.

12. Zulu Hart

This is a must for fans of Bernard Cornwell. A fantastic start to a new series and George Hart is a very lovable character.

13. The Owl Killers

Exclusive package for Goldsboro Books. I look forward to Karen Maitland's books like I look forward to my birthday.

14. The Kindly Ones

Signed copies exclusive to Goldsboro Books in the UK. This shocking novel is both challenging and thought-provoking, and well worth reading.

15. Mathilda Savitch

Exclusive slipcase edition. Mathilda is a wonderful creation, surprisingly written by a perceptive male author.

16. Afterlife

What The Secret History did for Donna Tartt, Afterlife will do for Sean O'Brien.

17. Nights of Villjamur

Exclusive numbered edition. Villjamur is a dark and brooding metropolis, which becomes a character in its own right. Perfect for fans of Perdido Street Station.

18. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Flavia de Luce, a precocious 11 year old sleuth, is at the centre of this brilliant first novel.

19. The Case of the Missing Servant

A brilliantly written and humourous tale that captures the sounds, smells and foibles of India.

20. The Age of Orphans

This is a stunning debut, and an emotional read from a very talented writer. Ideal for fans of A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Rising Stars

Macmillan are the publishers of such wonderful series as Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse and C J Sansom's Shardlake. It is wonderful to see that they have two brilliant rising stars in Brian McGilloway and M. R. Hall.




The Disappeared is the second novel from M. R. Hall to feature Jenny Cooper, his first being The Coroner. In this second installment Jenny is settling in to her role as Coroner for the Severn Valley when she is approached by a grief-stricken mother who doesn't believe that her son, who has disappeared, has in fact gone abroad to pursue dangerous new ideals. Jenny soon realises in her inquest into Nazim's disappearance, that it is shrouded in corruption and conspiracy and as the pressure on her increases, Jenny is pushed to breaking point. How could she know that in unravelling the mystery of the disappeared she would begin to unearth some of her own buried secrets? Having been a huge fan of The Coroner, Goldsboro Books' second biggest selling novel of 2009, I wondered if M. R. Hall could in fact better it. The Disappeared is better, the writing more assured and I literally couldn't put it down. It rightly deserves to be our December Book of the Month. (Published January 2010)


Borderlands by Brian McGilloway is my favourite crime novel published in the last 10 years and is the first book in a wonderful series featuring Benedict Devlin, Garda Inspector, in the borderlands of Northern and Southern Ireland. This fourth novel is set around an investigation into a vigilante group who have named themselves, The Rising which is the title of the book. Soon Devlin realises after the death of two drug dealers, this group is more complex than just vigilantism. Meanwhile is ex-colleague's son has gone missing during a camping trip but after searching for him he is relieved to hear that the boy's mother has had a text from him to say he's safe in Dublin. So when a body is washed up on a beach the Inspector is confused.

When Devlin thinks he is beginning to understand the vigilante case, a personal crisis strikes at the heart of his family forcing him to confront the compromises his career has forced upon him. This is McGilloway's most touching novel yet and confirms him as one of the most exciting crime writers around. If you haven't read him you are in for a treat. (Published April 2010)

Guardian First Books

The shortlist for the Guardian First Book Award includes two titles Goldsboro Books stock. This is our take on them.

The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet by Reif Larson

If these are only the selected works of T. S. Spivet then I am very keen to read the entire collection. This book is a delight.

We follow twelve-year-old, mapping genius, T. S. Spivet across country, from Montana to DC, to claim his place as the adult winner of prestigious museum the Smithsonian's Baird Award. But being twelve, and keeping the journey a secret from his family, at the same time as keeping his age a secret from the Smithsonian, makes this journey an adventure, and a perilous one at that.

The story would be enjoyable if you only had the text in a word document, however, you can not separate this narrative from the beautiful production and illustration of the book. I was totally transported to T. S's world, a world of mapping, loss, adventure and bravery. Through his mature, yet naive, twelve-year-old eyes I became a more considerate reader, absorbing every piece of information even hinted at, studying every diagram, and then getting carried away with the plot so turning back to read any asides I might have missed.

This book was not just a purchase but a gift from me to me. And, just to let you know, you have no idea what a map really is until you read this book!

The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey

This is a truly unique novel. For the first time, that I know of, Samantha Harvey has written a novel from the point of view of an Alzheimer's sufferer. And she pulls it off with incredible skill and style.

As Jake, her protagonist, slowly succumbs to the disease, so his memories fracture and his fact becomes fiction and his memories bleed into each other. But this novel is not a depressing one. It is a life affirming novel.

This wonderful and outstanding novel is one of the most thought-provoking novels of 2009.