Harvill

Addictive storytelling from around the world

Harvill’s mission is to bring you addictive storytelling from around the world. We celebrate the rich variety of experiences fiction has to offer. Just as the arctic tern of our colophon travels from pole to pole in search of the sun, we seek to publish brilliant books that will transport you to new worlds, new experiences and new ways of thinking.

We publish unmissable contemporary novels, electrifying thrillers, spellbinding historical tales and immersive and world-building storytelling. Our authors have the most inventive and original minds teamed with the talent and craft to tell a story that will captivate and surprise you.

Our name comes from two of our founders, Manya Harari and Marjorie Villiers (Har-vill), who searched across the world for the best stories to bring to readers. Over 100 years since our first incarnation, our team today has equally broad horizons and the drive to bring you memorable, exciting reads that take you away from the here and now and bring you back entertained and enriched.

Recent Harvill highlights

The City and Its Uncertain Walls

Haruki Murakami (Author) , Philip Gabriel (Translator)

What will you find in the city? READERS LOVE THE CITY AND ITS UNCERTAIN WALLS‘Felt like stepping into a dream’ ‘I really loved getting lost in this book’ ‘Everyone on this planet should read Murakami at least once in their lifetime’ ‘Riveting and irresistible’ ‘It’s magical, it’s wise . . . deeply comforting’A love story, a quest, an ode to books and to the libraries that house them, a breathtaking new novel about the boundaries between worlds and individuals, from the Sunday Times bestseller. When a young man’s girlfriend mysteriously vanishes, he sets his heart on finding the imaginary city where her true self lives. His search will lead him to take a job in a remote library with mysteries of its own. When he finally makes it to the walled city, a shadowless place of horned beasts and willow trees, he finds his beloved working in a different library – a dream library. But she has no memory of their life together in the other world and, as the lines between reality and fantasy start to blur, he must decide what he’s willing to lose. PRAISE FOR THE CITY AND ITS UNCERTAIN WALLS ‘Quietly miraculous’ Telegraph‘Bewitching’ Financial Times‘Enveloping’ Independent

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The Fisherman's Gift

Julia Kelly (Author)

The sea tore them apart. Could it bring them back together? The unforgettable story of a tragic love affair, a lost boy and a tiny seafaring village finding new hope as its secrets come to light. ‘A beautifully written story of loss and love’ Florence Knapp Dorothy first came to Skerry when she was a hopeful young teacher, but she has never felt at home. Misunderstandings with the other women in the village have left her isolated from their close-knit circle. And then there is Joseph, the soft-spoken fisherman who stirred up her heart all those years ago but does everything he can to avoid her now. But when Joseph finds a little boy washed up on Skerry’s windswept beach, barely alive, his arrival unearths the villagers’ buried secrets. As the snow cuts Skerry off from the rest of the world, Dorothy agrees to look after the child – and finds herself thrown together again with Joseph, after years of keeping their distance… READERS LOVE THE FISHERMAN'S GIFT: ‘Took my breath away’ ***** ‘This book emotionally destroyed me in the best way… My heart aches for these characters’ ***** ‘An absolute treasure. I loved it from start to finish’ ***** ‘Haunting and evocative. The characters have stayed with me well beyond the pages.’ ***** ‘A completely immersive, first-class story. Brilliantly observed, atmospheric and haunting all in one novel!’ *****'

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Hunted

Abir Mukherjee (Author)

Your kids are missing, accused of plotting to kill thousands. Can you find them before it's too late? It's a week before the presidential elections when a bomb goes off in an LA shopping mall. In London, armed police storm Heathrow Airport and arrest Sajid Khan. His daughter, Aliyah entered the USA with the suicide bomber, and now she's missing, potentially plotting another attack on American soil. But then a woman called Carrie turns up at Sajid's door after travelling halfway across the world. She claims Aliyah is with her son and she has a clue to their whereabouts. Carrie knows something isn't adding up - and that she and Sajid are the only ones who can find their children and discover the truth. On the run from the authorities, the two parents are thrown together in a race against time to stop their kids and prevent a catastrophe the likes of which the world has never seen. For fans of Adrian McKinty's The Chain, Clare Mackintosh's Hostage and global bestseller I Am Pilgrim, this blockbuster contemporary thriller will turn your world on its head.

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The Ghosts Of Rome

Joseph O'Connor (Author)

In a city under siege, no one can be trusted. The acclaimed wartime thriller from the internationally bestselling author of My Father's House. 'Thrilling, terrifying and entertaining in equal measure' Liz Nugent, Number One Bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond February 1944. Six months since Nazi forces occupied Rome. Inside the beleaguered city, the Contessa Giovanna Landini is a member of the band of Escape Line activists known as ‘The Choir’. Their mission is to smuggle refugees to safety and help Allied soldiers, all under the nose of Gestapo boss Paul Hauptmann. During a ferocious morning air raid a mysterious parachutist lands in Rome and disappears into the backstreets. Is he an ally or an imposter? His fate will come to put the whole Escape Line at risk. Meanwhile, Hauptmann’s attention has landed on the Contessa. As his fascination grows, she is pulled into a dangerous game with him – one where the consequences could be lethal. 'As thrilling, beautiful and sensational a novel as you'll read this year or any year' Donal Ryan, Sunday Times 'Nail-bitingly tense...Vivid and moving' Guardian ‘A stellar piece of storytelling’ Daily Mail 'Not just a wartime thriller, but a meditation on how we remember, how we resist and how, even in the darkest times, humanity endures' New York Times 'Excellent...rings so emotionally true and clear... The writing has the energy and tension of a thriller, yet the language is rich, visual and beautiful' Sunday Independent

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Blood Ties

Jo Nesbo (Author) , Robert Ferguson (Translator)

FAMILY COMES FIRST. NO MATTER THE COST. 'A 100% buy-today-read-tonight delight' LEE CHILD 'Bracingly and bleakly funny' Telegraph Brothers Carl and Roy Opgard have succeeded in life. Or at least they’ve had as much success as is possible in a small town like Os, where they've killed their way to the top. Carl manages the swanky spa hotel, while Roy has made ambitious plans for an amusement park. Life’s good at the top. But the local sheriff is looking to bring them down. Sheriff Kurt Olsen believes he has new evidence that will prove the brothers’ involvement in several past murders – but Carl and Roy are used to covering their tracks, and they're not afraid to get their hands dirty. The body count in Os is about to get even higher. Blood Ties is an explosive suspense novel about family, loyalty, and the lengths someone is willing to go to for both, from crime writing's king of the cliffhanger.

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Nephthys

Rachel Louise Driscoll (Author)

‘Brilliant… I loved it.’ Santa Montefiore A FORGOTTEN EGYPTIAN GODDESS. A FAMILY IN DANGER. Victorian Egyptologist Clemmie’s dark talents have torn her family apart. Now she has one chance to atone for the past. Clemmie’s gift for reading hieroglyphs shines at the Egyptian relic parties which have made her father the toast of Victorian society. But at one party, the words she interprets from an unusual amulet strike fear into her heart. The childhood game she used to play about the immortal sisters, Isis and Nephthys, takes on a devastating resonance and it is only by following Nephthys' story back to Egypt that she can undo the mistakes of the past. ‘An irresistible page-turner’ Susan Stokes-Chapman, author Pandora ‘An intoxicating tale of adventure and obsession’ Emilia Hart, author of Weyward ‘A joy of a book’ Fiza Saeed McLynn, author of The Midnight Carousel *SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA DEBUT CROWN* Readers ADORE Nephthys: ‘A total page-turner! ... Wow! What darkness this book holds!’ ‘Unique and gripping.... this tale of Egypt and England was full of twists and turns.’ ‘A captivating blend of Victorian society, ancient Egypt, and dark secrets.’

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The Last Dream

Pedro Almodóvar (Author) , Frank Wynne (Translator)

The Last Dream brings together twelve stories from legendary film director Pedro Almodóvar’s personal archive. Delivering a tantalising glimpse into Almodóvar’s world, together they reflect his most intimate obsessions, as well as his daring evolution as an artist. Ranging from a beautiful chronicle of the death of Almodóvar’s mother in ‘The Last Dream’, to a love story between Jesus and Barabbas, a cult film director out in search of painkillers on a bank holiday weekend, the original story behind the film Bad Education, and a gothic tale of a repentant vampire, these mischievous stories delight and surprise. The Last Dream is a celebration of the relationship between life and art, fiction and reality, bursting with desire and playful humour.

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Future releases

Wolf Hour

Jo Nesbo (Author) , Robert Ferguson (Translator)

This killer has a story. When a small-time crook is shot down in the streets of Minneapolis, all signs point to a lone wolf, a sniper who has vanished into thin air. To tell it, he needs to get caught. When the shooter strikes again, it’s maverick detective Bob Oz they call in to crack the case. They don’t think this victim will be the last. And this wolf wants the world to know... As the body count rises, Oz suspects something even more sinister is at play. And the closer he gets to the truth, the more disturbed he becomes. Because this serial killer reminds him of someone dangerous: himself. He’s only just getting started. Wolf Hour is a gritty standalone thriller packed with unexpected twists, dark secrets and bubbling personal and political tension, from the king of the cliffhanger.

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Her Many Faces

Nicci Cloke (Author)

'Unique, punchy and super-smart, Her Many Faces is itself so multifaceted, so rich - a courtroom drama, a character study, a social commentary - but it wears each guise with real heart and style' ABIGAIL DEAN 'Beautifully written, experimental, and fast-paced. I’m addicted' GIlLIAN McALLISTER Daughter. Friend. Lover. Victim. Murderer. Who is the real Katie Cole? When four wealthy and influential members of London’s most exclusive private club are poisoned, a young waitress is charged with their murder. As the trial grips the nation, five men begin to question how well they really knew her. There's her father, who remembers the sweet girl growing up in Devon; her childhood friend, who is swept up in her fascination with conspiracy theories; her lover, who wants to distance himself from a young woman with an obsession; her barrister, who knows she's hiding something; and the journalist investigating the case, who is convinced he knows exactly what she is: a cold-blooded killer. Five men. Five stories. But are they ready to hear hers? 'An ingenious, indignant, beautifully wrought psychological thriller. Nicci Cloke had me fooled repeatedly and I absolutely loved it' ERIN KELLY 'Stunning: so clever, so gripping, so timely. This deserves to be huge' LUCY FOLEY

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Red Star Down

D. B. John (Author)

A gripping international thriller from the author of THE STAR OF THE NORTH It's 2018. A desperate, starving 18-year-old North Korean defector makes it to the US consulate in Hanoi, Vietnam. He knows only one Western name. Jenna Williams. He asks to meet her. Jenna works under an alias at the US embassy in Russia arranging university exchanges - the cover for her role as a senior intelligence officer assigned to the CIA's Moscow station. She 37 years old, a Korean-African-American. With Jenna's help, Woo-jin, known as 'Books', receives the asylum and US citizenship granted to all North Korean defectors. He speaks Russian and English well, so at Jenna's suggestion he starts to study at the American School in Moscow so that she can help him acclimatise to the world outside North Korea. But while watching a television news conference on the eve of a summit in Singapore, Books is shocked to discover he recognises one of the the president's aides, Eric Rahn. He was a fellow cadet of the Mangyongdae Revolutionary School in North Korea. Jenna requests an urgent face-to-face meeting with the CIA director to warn him that the White House has been infiltrated. But with North Korean killers closing in, Jenna must get out of Russia fast. At the same time in Singapore, as the historic meeting with the North Korean leader is about to begin, Eric Rahn has the President's ear, and urges him to make a secret promise that will have fateful consequences...

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Soyangri Book Kitchen

Kim Jee Hye (Author) , Shanna Tan (Translator)

Welcome to Soyangri Book Kitchen In a peaceful village in the countryside, far from the bustling heart of Seoul, lies a book lovers’ paradise. With its wafts of delicious food and book-filled shelves, Soyangri Book Kitchen is dotingly managed by its plucky proprietor Yoojin. Her aim? To create a sanctuary for weary souls like herself. But the book kitchen is more than just a place to eat or read – it’s a place which offers its guests a true escape, not just inside the pages of its many books, but in the warm embrace of an overnight bookstay. Over the course of a year, seven individuals, all at a crossroads in their lives, find their way to Yoojin’s book kitchen. Among them are Da-in, a singer grappling with an identity crisis, Sohee, a promising lawyer confronted with a daunting medical diagnosis, and Soohyuk, a young musical director whose dreams have been stifled by failure. As they arrive in Soyangri, each of them will find their life subtly transformed by the magic of its books and the kindness of its people.

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The Burning Grounds

Abir Mukherjee (Author)

In the Burning Ghats of Calcutta where the dead are laid to rest, a man is found murdered, his throat cut from ear to ear. The body is that of a popular patron of the arts, a man who was, by all accounts, beloved by all: so what was the motive for his murder? Despite being out of favour with the Imperial Police Force, Detective Sam Wyndham is assigned to the case and finds himself thrust into the glamorous world of Indian cinema. Meanwhile Surendranath Banerjee, recently returned from Europe after three years spent running from the fallout of his last case, is searching for a missing photographer; a trailblazing woman at the forefront of the profession. When Suren discovers that the vanished woman is linked to Sam's murder investigation, the two men find themselves working together once again - but will Wyndham and Banerjee be able to put their differences aside to solve the case? From the critically-acclaimed author of HUNTED comes the next instalment in the popular Wyndham and Banerjee series.

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Open Wide

Jessica Gross (Author)

By the time we’d said ‘I love you’ and kissed goodnight and turned out the light, thoughts of whether to resist had left my mind. I had climbed inside his body, and now he was stirring. Olive is desperate to get close to Theo – really, really close. Despite being a radio host, she’s always struggled to connect with people. And now she’s in her thirties, single, and so flustered by relationships that she secretly records her conversations, hoping to decipher social clues and find a way to be less alone. Then Theo turns up for a shift at the food pantry where she volunteers. He’s a surgeon fascinated by human organs, a former football player, and possibly as weird as Olive. For the first time, someone seems to crave and understand her. Every recording Olive makes of Theo is a balm – which just makes her more afraid of losing him. The only solution seems to be to bind him to her forever. Luckily, the gap between Theo’s front teeth is just wide enough for something – or someone – to slip inside. Arresting and immersive, Open Wide explores the boundaries of love and the body, as universal human impulses bleed into the surreal.

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The School of Night

Karl Ove Knausgaard (Author) , Martin Aitken (Translator)

'[An] almost dangerously immersive reading experience that will completely take over your life. . . by turns bleak, funny and horrifying, but never less than utterly captivating' Martin MacInnes, Booker longlisted author of IN ASCENSIONLondon. 1985. A city rife with possibility and desire. One young man who wants it all. Kristian Hadeland, newly arrived in the city, seethes with ambition and contempt. His family in Norway never understood him; his fellow photography students bore him. But he knows he and his art are destined for more. Then he meets Hans, an eccentric Dutch artist. With Hans, the future Kristian yearns for is tangible. All art is possible. Any line can be crossed. But success comes at a price. And when Kristian does the unthinkable, will he be prepared to pay it? Electrifying and unflinching, The School of Night is a singular novel about artistic creation and human corruption. It is the story of one terrible man's rise and fall, and a reckoning with the darkest parts of human nature. PRAISE FOR KARL OVE KNAUSGAARD: ‘Absorbs you utterly’ Sunday Times ‘One of the most genuinely suspenseful, alluring books I’ve ever read’ Brandon Taylor ‘Addictive’ Daily Telegraph ‘Brilliant storytelling . . . Epic’ Independent ‘As accessible and creepy as anything by Stephen King and as addictive as your favourite TV drama’ Spectator ‘Knausgaard is among the finest writers alive’’ New York Times The School of Night is set in the Morning Star universe.