Young Spanish art historian Alejandro Ballesteros arrives in a wintry Venice to study Giorgione's painting The Tempest, the focus of his academic life. But on his first day in the city, he witnesses a murder, which propels him into a dangerous, seductive web that connects the city's rarefied academic circles with a master forger. Exploring the boundaries between art and reality, genuine and fake, intellect and beauty, this is a fascinating, stylish and sensuous novel that powerfully evokes its Venetian setting.

Ever tried to have your cake and eat it? Stella Duffy's compelling new novel is
the tale of one woman who does and pays the price.

Happily married with a loving husband, a comfortable home and a successful
management consultancy, Lisa decides her life isn't exciting enough. She embarks on a passionate affair with her best friend's boyfriend and, when he starts to get too serious, finds fresh gratification in the arms of a woman. Then a tragedy occurs and Lisa, finally, is burnt by the fire she thought she was just playing with. With insight, depth and humour Stella Duffy portrays contemporary relationships and what, beyond sex and novelty, they need to last.

'A hugely talented and well-written thriller, bulging with knowledge' De Tre Stifstidender (Denmark)

When a young woman collapses on arrival in a Sydney hospital,Dr Annika Niebuhr diagnoses the bite of the world's most poisonous snake, but not one native to Sydney: it can only have been planted. Inadvertently, or so she believes, Annika is drawn into an increasingly bizarre investigation and finds she must use not just her reason but her intuition and imagination to survive. A compelling and thought provoking novel that weaves science, faith and legend into a race to conceal an impending cataclysm.

The dramatic and sensuous new novel by the author of the worldwide bestseller Le Testament Francais.

In the summer of 1947, a small town outside Paris is rocked by scandal when a member of its Russian émigré community drowns in a boating incident and the woman with him, an enigmatic White Russian princess, is suspected of his murder. As the story unfolds of the preceding year, a picture emerges of Olga's Russian background and a darker, hidden crime in her new life comes to light. Suffused with tension and eroticism, this is a breathtaking successor to Le Testament Francais by a writer of international stature.

The renowned comedian and presenter Alexei Sayle proves himself to be a formidable literary talent in this wonderful collection of sleek, dark, and witty short stories.
Barcelona Plates is a collection of dark and witty tales which heralds the arrival of an outstanding new talent on the literary scene, one which will receive both public and critical acclaim. It portrays a world where life can at times be cool and dark, or blood-hot and violent - but always served up with a twist. The characters are vividly, wryly - and occasionally disturbingly - portrayed, the style is crisp, the humour is biting. This is story-telling at its best.

Alexei Saylels collection of hilarious, touching, and disturbing modern stories approach genius. You will read them, reread them, and never stop taking about them' Muriel Gray

Alexei Sayle was the original compere when the Comedy Store opened, moving on to front the Comic Strip. He appeared in (and helped to write) The Young Ones and has had six series of his own TV comedy show on BBC. The shows have won awards ranging from the Broadcasting Press Guild and The Royal Television Society Awards for Best TV Comedy Series, through to a Rose of Montreux and an International Emmy. Other TV credits include writing and presenting episodes of the BBC arts programme Arena. He has written and starred in a number of TV films including Didn't You Kill My Brother and Itch and, most recently, the romantic comedy Sorry About Last Night. His film work includes roles in Gorky Park, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Swing. Acting roles on TV include parts in Whoops Apocalypse, The Strike, Night Voice and Selling Hitler. He has presented several TV series including Sex, Drugs and Dinner, Drive and Great Railway Journeys of the World. He has appeared in many radio series including several series of Lenin of the Revers (as Lenin of course), presented the radio journalism series Fourth Column and has just written and starred in a radio series of Sorry About Last Night. He has been a regular columnist on the Sunday Mirror, Time Out, Observer, Independent, Car. Barcelona Plates is his first collection of stories, with a novel to come in 2001.