British Problems

What if Basil Fawlty ran your customer service helpline? What if Mr Bean was stuck in your hybrid meeting? What if Darth Vader had to queue in the rain at Waitrose? In Very British Problems: How the World’s Favourite Characters Survive Britain, some of the most iconic characters from film, TV, books and comics are dropped straight into the glorious chaos of modern British life. From Basil Fawlty, David Brent and Blackadder to Darth Vader, Yoda, Sherlock Holmes and the Sorting Hat, this sharp, witty and very British collection shows how the world’s best-known heroes, villains and legends...

The Good House, by Ann Leary, is funny, poignant, and terrifying. A classic New England tale that lays bare the secrets of one little town, this spirited novel will stay with you long after the story has ended. Now a major motion picture starring Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline! Hildy Good is a...

“Brimming with scandal and an equal amount of heart…a sweeping yet intimate look at the lives of some of history’s most notorious figures from Vanderbilts to the Prince of Wales… A must-read.”—Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of When We Left Cuba and Next Year in...

This collection of short stories from the undisputed Queen of Crime, perfectly illustrating the incredible breadth of the author’s talent; from sinister murder mysteries to light-hearted romances. All great crime writers have their favourite creations. Similarly, every great sleuth has his, or...

The forces behind an economic crisis in the making A “problem of twelve” arises when a small number of institutions acquire the means to exert outsized influence over the politics and economy of a nation. The Big Three index funds of Vanguard, State Street, and BlackRock control more than...

Bloomsbury presents Sidney Chambers and The Problem of Evil by James Runcie, read by Joe Jameson. There is no denying the winning charm of these artfully fashioned mysteries' – Barry Forshaw, Independent 'Gentle, often funny and undeniably charming' – Readers Digest 'We should welcome him to...

BEFORE I DIE: A Pact What would you do differently if you knew that in one year you were going die? This is the dilemma best friends Renata, Saffron and Charlotte face, after making a pact to end the discontent in their lives. Ending the pain is simple: after their proposed last year on Earth they plan to take a plunge off Deadman’s Cliff. Their reasoning is even simpler: if a person hasn’t sorted her life out by age thirty out chances are she never would. Renata, Saffron and Charlotte were simply over days that spun around like a broken record. They could choose to spend the next fifty...

JUST A LITTLE BREAK What’s a girl to do when she’s had twelve lovers and the love of her life has only bedded two? Serena Adams, sexy makeup artist to the stars, is certain that her life is perfect – great job, devoted man and the silent promise of a ring on her finger. So when her boyfriend Markie attempts to shatter it by leaving her due to their “numbers” issue she is determined to do anything to keep him. No longer able to cope with Serena’s impressive sexual history (twelve one-night stands versus his two longstanding ex-lays) Markie sees splitting up as the only solution. ...

What makes the English English? Is it their eccentricity, their passionate love (or, indeed, hatred) of Marmite – or is it something less easily defined? Beginning at the top of a muddy Gloucestershire slope at the Coopers Hill cheese-rolling contest and traversing a landscape of lawns and...

GUARDIAN'S TOP BOOK ON THE UK HOUSING CRISIS 'An essential read about a broken housing market.' – Peter Apps, Inside Housing If paying rent feels like a second tax — and saving for a deposit feels impossible — you’re not imagining it. Across the UK housing market, millions of people are stuck in the rent trap: high rents that can exceed mortgage payments, tiny and poorly maintained flats, insecure tenancies, deposit battles, and the constant stress of being forced to move with little notice. Generation Rent is Chloe Timperley’s razor-sharp, eye-opening investigation into ...

How do British pavements remain free of dog mess? Why are paths not littered with cigarette butts or roads not lined with abandoned cars? What does the decline of the public lavatory say about us and is the national reputation for queuing still deserved today? Orderly Britain takes a topical...

Bloomsbury presents The Centrist Dad Handbook by Jason Hazeley and Nico Tatarowicz, read by Justin Edwards. A funny and gentle deep dive into the most unbearably reasonable men in the UK – your perfect Christmas present for any dad, husband, brother or uncle who owns more gilets than shoes...

A Haunting. A Life Unraveling. A Mystery That Will Change Everything. On the bleak and windswept Cornish coast lies a mysterious property known only as The Crow’s Nest—a house as unsettling as the cliffs that cradle it. Lonely, rugged, and steeped in forgotten history, it’s the kind of place that draws curiosity... and a fair share of fear. For Daniel Stourton, a confident young man at the peak of his career as the top salesman at a local estate agent, The Crow’s Nest is just another listing. The kind of property that could secure his future, boost his success, and provide him with ...