A Dry Spell

From the highly-acclaimed author of SMALL PLEASURES - WINNER of the 2022 British Book Awards Page-Turner. In 1976, four students took a trip to the desert. Now the repercussions of that fateful summer are coming back to haunt them... And repercussions are exactly what Guy doesn't need. His wife, Jane, is moving swiftly from slightly eccentric to downright peculiar, their three-year-old daughter seems set on destroying Jane's sanity, and now even God's gone quiet on him. As for Nina, she is having enough trouble with her son, James. He has exams looming, a new girlfriend with pneumatic breasts and now, it seems, he's on drugs. Nina certainly will not welcome any ghosts from the past. Life isn't going smoothly for anyone. But when Hugo, long-forgotten agent of misfortune, threatens to pay them all a visit, disaster seems unavoidable. . . ____________________ Praise for Clare Chambers: 'Bleak but funny, sharply observed characters and crisp dialogue make this a great read' Yorkshire Post 'Intriguing and thought-provoking' Katie Fforde 'A wonderful novel. I loved it!!' Nina Stibbe 'Gorgeous. . . If you are looking for something escapist and bittersweet, I couldn't recommend it more!' Pandora Sykes 'An irresistible novel - wry, perceptive and quietly devastating' Mail on Sunday 'Chambers' eye for undemonstrative details achieves a Larkin-esque lucidity' Guardian 'An almost flawlessly written tale of genuine, grown-up romantic anguish' Sunday Times 'Effortless to read, but every sentence lingers in the mind' Lissa Evans

Goodlands, North Dakota, has been suffering a massive drought for the past four years. Farms are in foreclosure, people's livelihoods are on the wane, and the town's beleaguered mortgage lender, Karen Grange, is beginning to think she should pack up and go back to Minneapolis. Then Tom Keatley arrives. He calls himself a rainmaker. Karen thinks he's a drifter. And the townsfolk--well, the townsfolk aren't about to trust the tall, mysterious stranger who wanders their streets, visits their dying farms, and keeps his thoughts to himself. They don't need an out-of-towner surveying their land, hands in pockets, eyes looking at the sky. What they need is rain. What happens to Goodlands when Tom Keatley arrives is as mysterious as the elements. And what he unleashes is much more profound than a storm. There is a mystery behind this terrible drought, and a message, and its unrelenting fierceness can destroy the town of Goodlands. Tom knows this. But Karen does not. Not yet. Tom and Karen's love affair, elemental and profound, is intertwined with the story of a town gripped by fear, and paralyzed by the sickness at its core. Suspenseful and gripping from the first page, A Dry Spell is a mesmerizing read.

Featuring unforgettable characters, tautly woven human dramas, and a harrowing portrait of the power of nature, A Dry Spell weaves a spell all its own--one that stays with readers long after the last page is turned.

Finalist of the 2019 International Digital Awards *** Samantha Callahan fights hard to succeed in a man’s world. At the top of her game with a promotion nearly in her grasp, nothing can stand in her way, not even greedy competitors or a crashed laptop. So, an overdue and well-deserved vacation to the beach with the girls shouldn’t put her on edge. But perhaps Sam’s head has been down in the trenches for so long, she’s forgotten how to enjoy life. Chase Bradshaw is the classic hottie next door—a nice man who happens to surf as well as he sizzles in the bedroom. He ditched corporate America for the stress-free salt life, and to follow his dreams. When Sam walks onto his beach, he can practically see the uptight personality oozing from her pores. The woman looks like she could use something other than work to keep her up at night. Lucky for her, Chase is just the man to coax the conservative right out of her.

From the highly-acclaimed author of SMALL PLEASURES - winner of the 2022 British Book Awards Page-Turner Abigail Jex never expected to see any of the Radley household again. The Radley's were extraordinary, captivating creatures transplanted from a bohemian corner of North London to outer suburbia, and the young Abigail found herself drawn into their magic circle: the eccentric Frances, her new best friend; Frances' mother, the liberated, headstrong Lexi; and of course the brilliant, beautiful Rad. Abigail thought she had banished the ghost of her life with them and the catastrophe that ended it, but thirteen years later a chance encounter forces her to acknowledge that the spell is far from broken. Praise for Clare Chambers: 'Modern, intelligently observed and highly original' Daily Mail 'This delicious novel is a joy from beginning to end - just perfect!!' Lisa Jewell 'Charming - A funny and moving story with a great deal of style' Sunday Telegraph 'A spirited account of growing up and falling in love' Good Housekeeping 'An intelligent and escapist read - well written, and very funny' Daily Express

Chinese officials put considerable effort into managing the fiscal and legal affairs of their jurisdictions, but they also devoted significant time and energy to performing religious rituals on behalf of the state. This groundbreaking study explores this underappreciated aspect of Chinese political life by investigating rainmaking activities organized or conducted by local officials in the Qing dynasty. Using a wide variety of primary sources, this study explains how and why state rainmaking became a prominent feature of the late imperial religious landscape. It also vividly describes the esoteric, spectacular, and occasionally grotesque techniques officials used to pray for rain. Charting the ways in which rainmaking performances were contested by local communities, this study argues that state rainmaking provided an important venue where the relationship between officials and their constituents was established and maintained. For this reason, the author concludes that official rainmaking was instrumental in constituting state power at the local level. This monograph addresses issues that are central to the study of late imperial Chinese society and culture, including the religious activities of Chinese officials, the nature of state orthodoxy, and the symbolic dimensions of local governance.

Aileen Donovan is an oceanographer with magical control over the element of water. While her normal focus is on research and fighting poachers, she's about to go up against the stuff of legends—and that's saying something for a supernatural.A transport ship is missing and everyone's eager to get their hands on the cargo. No one knows what exactly it is, but when fragments resembling coral begin to drive local residents insane, Aileen suspects a preternatural source. Whatever is at the bottom of the ocean, a power-hungry alchemist wants it, and releases a sea dragon to eat the competition—literally.Aileen sees this as an opportunity to win the professional recognition she desires, but keeping secrets is complicated when she's working with local Coast Guard officer Colin Benson. Her sense of love and duty will be put to the test, and when the tide washes out, it might have been better if that lost ship had stayed lost.

The former editor in chief of the acclaimed magazine Christianity Today offers a compelling look at the state of evangelicalism and hope for the future. In arguably one of the most divisive and polarizing eras, evangelicals are faced with a profound crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that has many dimensions―political, biblical, and theological―as well as a crisis of spiritual formation and discipleship. What ultimately is at the root of this crisis? Mark Galli encourages us to turn our attention away from the politics of the moment, the social issues being discussed online, and the debate du jour among Christians. He asks us instead to take a long and hard look at what’s missing in our spirituality. In an incisive and thought-provoking book, Mark Galli helps us slow down and spend time reflecting on our ultimate priority. A must-read for anyone interested in contemplating the future of the church.