An epic account of a boy born into a struggle for survival on the harsh and unforgiving American frontier from the greatest Western writer of the century. On the eve of the Civil War, Kirby Jensen is the youngest of three children living on a hardscrabble ranch in Southwestern Missouri. But in 1861, shots are fired in Charleston harbor, and Kirby’s father and brother go to war. Smoke Jensen: The Beginning follows the Jensen clan during these volatile years, from Civil War battles to border state raids to the kind of frontier justice achieved only by bullets and blood.   William W. Johnstone chronicles the early years of Kirby Jensen—soon to be nicknamed Smoke—as he journeys from boyhood innocence into a manhood shaped by violence and a young man’s thirst for justice. Filled with actual historical events and legendary characters, the story of Smoke Jensen’s early years is a powerful, brutal and amazing American saga—the crowning achievement of America’s most popular living Western writer.   Praise for the novels of William W. Johnstone   “For most fans of the Western genre, there isn’t a bet much surer than a book bearing the name Johnstone.”—True West   “[A] rousing, two-fisted saga of the growing American frontier.”—Publishers Weekly on Eyes of Eagles   “There’s plenty of gunplay and fast-paced action as this old-time hero proves again that a steady eye and quick reflexes are the keys to survival on the Western frontier.”—Curled Up with a Good Book on Dead Before Sundown

GOLD CATEGORY WINNER FOR HISTORICAL MYSTERY AT THE 2023 HFC BOOK OF THE YEAR CONTEST.Featured in Town and Country's 'Must-Read Books of Summer 2023'.There is a certain hour, in the dead of night, when the orchid’s scent can put you under a spell . . .'Literary tour de force, brimming with tension, intrigue, danger, romance, and murder.' The Historical Fiction Company'Historical mystery fans will find this irresistible.' Publishers Weekly Starred Review'From the family shops of Little Italy to the bright lights of Dreamland, Nancy Bilyeau takes you on a glittering tour of a bygone New York . . .' Mariah Fredericks, author of The Lindbergh NannyNancy Bilyeau, author of The Blue, returns with a tantalizing novel about one woman caught up in a secret nightclub that one can only reach through a certain florist on a cobblestone street.New York City, 1923. Zia De Luca’s life is about to be shattered.Having lost her husband to The Great War, she lives with her in-laws in Little Italy and works at the public library.But when a quiet poetry-lover is murdered outside the library, the police investigation focuses on Zia.After a second tragedy strikes even closer to home, Zia learns that both crimes are connected to a new speakeasy in Greenwich Village called The Orchid Hour.When the police investigation stalls, Zia decides to find her own answers. A cousin with whom she has a special bond serves as a guide to the shadow realm of The Orchid Hour, a world filled with enticements Zia has shunned up to now.She must contend with a group of players determined to find wealth and power in New York on their own terms. In this heady atmosphere, Zia begins to wonder if she too could rewrite her life’s rules.As she’s pulled in deeper and deeper, will Zia be able to bring the killers to justice before they learn her secret?PRAISE FOR NANCY BILYEAU:'Bilyeau paints a vivid portrait of 1923 New York City — particularly its insular Italian community, alluring speakeasies, and Prohibition-fueled organized crime — in this impeccably researched historical mystery.' Publishers Weekly'Nancy Bilyeau's passion for history infuses her books.' Alison Weir, the biggest selling female historian in the UK'A beautifully layered and utterly seductive tale . . . and, at its living, tender heart, a strong-willed and magnetic heroine.' Emilya Naymark, author of Behind the Lie, finalist for the 2023 Sue Grafton Award'Nancy manages to combine a murder mystery with a love story and set it all against a world which seems palpably real.' Griff Hosker, bestselling author of the Lord Edward's Archer series'Nancy Bilyeau’s loving recreation of Jazz Age New York hums with authenticity . . . Her heroine, underdog Italian immigrant Zia, is irresistible . . .' Carole Buggé, author of the Ian Hamilton mystery series and Edgar nominated Cleopatra's Dagger'With a heroine you can’t help rooting for, a fascinating cast of characters, and a tense, high-stakes mystery at its heart, this is a book you can’t stop reading.' Olivia Hawker, bestselling author of One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow'reeks with the smell of lasagna in Little Italy, the smell of cheap gin in a 1920s speakeasy, and most importantly and most delicately with the scent of orchids at midnight . . . her best by far, and she’d already set a high bar.' Timothy Miller, author of The Strange Case of Eliza Doolittle'Nancy Bilyeau has become my go-to author for brilliantly written historical suspense . . . Read it and be seduced.' Kris Waldherr, author of Unnatural Creatures

WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION NOMINEE • Best Book of the Month: The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Book Riot, CrimeReads • An elegant and hypnotic new novel of obsession that centers on the real unsolved mystery of the 1951 mass poisoning of a French village, by the Booker Prize–nominated author of The Water Cure"Intoxicating, sumptuous, and savage.”—Alexandra Kleeman, acclaimed author of Something New Under the SunStill reeling in the aftermath of the deadliest war the world had ever seen, the small town of Pont-Saint-Esprit collectively lost its mind. Some historians believe the mysterious illness and violent hallucinations were caused by spoiled bread; others claim it was the result of covert government testing on the local population.In that town lived a woman named Elodie. She was the baker’s wife: a plain, unremarkable person who yearned to transcend her dull existence. So when a charismatic new couple arrived in town, the forceful ambassador and his sharp-toothed wife, Violet, Elodie was quickly drawn into their orbit. Thus began a dangerous game of cat and mouse--but who was the predator and on whom did they prey?Audacious and mesmerizing, Cursed Bread is a fevered confession, an entry into memory’s hall of mirrors, and an erotic fable of transformation. Sophie Mackintosh spins a darkly gleaming tale of a town gripped by hysteria, envy like poison in the blood, and desire that burns and consumes.

The spectacular New York Times bestseller and major motion picture about a lighthouse keeper and his wife is "a beautifully delineated tale of love and loss, right and wrong, and what we will do for the happiness of those most dear" (The Boston Globe). After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby. Tom, who keeps meticulous records and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel insists the baby is a “gift from God,” and against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.

“The enchanting saga of two Irish sisters…This new chapter of Titanic lore is worth plunging into.” —Publishers Weekly From the acclaimed author of The Girls of Ennismore comes a captivating and extraordinary tale of perseverance and bravery. This touching saga of sisterhood—perfect for fans of Fiona Davis and Marie Benedict—follows two young Irish women yearning for independence and adventure, as they set sail on RMS Titanic—the “ship of dreams”—only to be faced with the tragedy of that fabled maiden voyage…   Delia Sweeney has always been unlike her older sister—fair and delicate compared to tall, statuesque Nora, whose hair is as dark as Donegal turf. In other ways too, the sisters are leagues apart. Nora is her mother’s darling, favored at every turn, and expected to marry into wealth. Delia, constantly slighted, finds a measure of happiness helping her da on the farm. The rest of the time, she reads about far-off places that seem sure to remain a fantasy. Until the day a letter arrives from America . . . A distant relative has provided the means for Delia and Nora to go to New York. Delia will be a lowly maid in a modest household, while Nora will be governess for a well-to-do family. In Queenstown, Cork, they board the Titanic, a majestic new ocean liner making its maiden voyage. Any hope Delia carried that she and her sister might become closer during the trip soon vanishes. For there are far greater perils to contend with as the ship makes its way across the Atlantic . . .   In the wake of that fateful journey, Delia makes an impulsive choice—and takes Nora’s place as governess. Her decision sparks an adventure that leads her from Fifth Avenue to Dallas, Texas, where oilfields bring unimagined riches to some, despair to others. Delia grows close to her vulnerable young charge, and to the girl’s father. But her deception will have repercussions impossible to foresee, even as it brings happiness within reach for the first time . . .