The World of Tomorrow
Brendan Mathews $38
June 1939. With Europe on the brink of another World War, Francis Dempsey and his deaf-mute and shell-shocked brother Michael are en route to New York City, having absconded with a small fortune stolen from the IRA. Their destination is the house of their older brother Martin, a jazz musician. But when Tom Cronin, a retired henchman, tracks the brothers down, Francis must capitulate to blackmail or have his family suffer fatal consequences. Over the course of one tumultuous week, The World of Tomorrow brims with conmen, politicians, artists, musicians, mobsters and molls – characters haunted by their pasts and connected by blood, love and chance. When the befuddled Michael disappears, wandering the streets of Manhattan alone, his only hope may be the mysterious Czech photographer who takes him under her wing. With Michael missing and Francis embroiled in an assassination plot, the brothers’ long-awaited reunion with Martin may be short-lived. The sweeping and intricate storytelling of this remarkable novel is set against the resonant backdrop of an America that blithely hoped it could avoid the war and focus instead on the promise inherent in the slogan of the 1939 New York World’s Fair: a peaceful, prosperous “World of Tomorrow”.
The Sparsholt Affair
Alan Hollinghurst $38
In October 1940, the handsome young David Sparsholt arrives in Oxford. A keen athlete and oarsman, he at first seems unaware of the effect he has on others – particularly on the lonely and romantic Evert Dax, son of a celebrated novelist and destined to become a writer himself. While the Blitz rages in London, Oxford exists at a strange remove: an ephemeral, uncertain place, in which nightly blackouts conceal secret liaisons. Over the course of one momentous term, David and Evert forge an unlikely friendship that will colour their lives for decades to come… Man Booker Prize winner Alan Hollinghurst’s masterly novel evokes the intimate relationships of a group of friends bound together by art, literature and love across three generations. It explores the social and sexual revolutions of the most pivotal years of the past century, whose life-changing consequences are still being played out to this day. Richly observed, disarmingly witty and emotionally charged.
Lone Wolf: How Emirates Team New Zealand Stunned the World
Richard Gladwell $45
This celebration of Emirates Team New Zealand’s winning the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda in June is written by one of the world’s most influential yachting photo-journalists, Richard Gladwell, whose images also appear in the book, including those withheld prior to the Cup as they were "too revealing" of the Kiwi boat and technology. Gladwell closely followed Emirates Team New Zealand through its highs and lows after the 2013 upset in San Francisco. He captured the first images of the “cyclers” on the morning the AC50 Aotearoa was first splashed in Auckland and broke that story to the sailing world. He was in Bermuda for the 28 days of the regatta and had a ringside view of the racing from a photography boat – a unique position to see the highs and lows of the New Zealand campaign and to relate how this remarkable victory unfolded.
The Last Hours
Minette Walters $37
When the Black Death enters England through the port of Melcombe, Dorsetshire in June 1348, no one knows what manner of sickness it is or how it spreads and kills so quickly. The Church proclaims it a punishment from God but Lady Anne of Develish has different ideas. She gathers her serfs within the gates of Develish and refuses entry to outsiders. Her resolve is strengthened by the support of her leading serfs ... until food stocks run low and the nerves of all are tested by their ignorance of what is happening in the world outside. The people of Develish are alive – but for how long? What will they discover when the time comes for them to cross the moat? Compelling and suspenseful, The Last Hours is a riveting tale of human ingenuity and endurance against the worst pandemic known to history. In Lady Anne of Develish – leader, saviour, heretic – Minette Walters has created a most memorable heroine.
Force of Nature
Jane Harper $38
From the bestselling author of multi-award-winning thriller The Dry. Five women reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking along the muddy track. Only four come out the other side. The hike through the rugged ranges is intended to take the office colleagues out of their comfort zone and teach resilience and team building. At least that is what the corporate retreat website advertises. Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk has a particularly keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing bushwalker Alice Russell. She is the whistleblower in his latest case and knew secrets about the company she worked for and the people she worked with. Far from the hike encouraging teamwork, the four rescued women tell Falk a tale of suspicion, violence and disintegrating trust, and as he delves into Alice’s disappearance, it seems some dangers may run far deeper than anyone knew.
