New from Lendal Press

Prejudice, apocalypse and murder – it must be Christmas!

I’m just teasing with that subheading – those are the inciting incidents for the stories, but these novels are really about bravery, love, family (found or otherwise) and the tenacity of the human spirit. What could be more festive than that?

Lendal Press is our York-based imprint, theoretically at least, and is named after York’s Lendal Bridge (sister of Valley Bridge), as pictured above. I say ‘theoretically’ because during its five-year history, there has only been someone who actually lived in York working on these books about 50% of the time, and there isn’t currently. No matter, though – I love York, and part of my ‘publishing empire’ will always be rooted there, spiritually if not otherwise.

In truth, the one consistent difference between this imprint and the main Valley Press list is: Jamie doesn’t choose the books. That provides some vital diversity to the overall list, which otherwise seems to quickly fill up with themed collections by mid-career poets (a fine pursuit, of course; in fact just typing that made me want to read some… must wait for next month…)

So, if I’m not choosing the books, who is? In 2025, the answer has been Juliette Tomlinson, the third Lendal Press Managing Editor, who arrived in February after two decades in senior publishing sales roles, with instructions to focus on high-quality literary fiction with commercial appeal. She quickly got to work choosing and supervising the production of her first three books, and they arrived in shops at the start of this month. (More titles are coming soon.)

I asked Juliette to write a few paragraphs about why she chose these first three – and here they are, along with an extra comment from me, and some very nice-looking wrap covers, if I say so myself.

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Breaking Shells captured my imagination because it speaks clearly and tenderly from another era – one that still sits vividly in our collective social and political memory. Neville Judson has written a novel shaped by his own experiences as a young gay man: a courageous coming-of-age story set against the often-hidden histories of queer love, friendship, and societal change in mid-century England.

I was particularly taken by Judson’s sensitive observations of the natural environment. He places his key characters – friends Simon, Tim, and Ruth – at the heart of a landscape that feels both familiar and quietly nostalgic. Theirs is an innocent world, but as the novel unfolds they begin to explore all it has to offer, both literally and metaphorically.

Breaking Shells also captures the tensions of interracial love, religious expectation, and the search for belonging, set against the backdrop of English village life and the social upheavals of mid-century Britain. It charts the coming of age and enduring friendship of a trio who prove that loyalty can triumph over adversity. The novel feels all the more important – and authentic – because Judson has long been a campaigner, at the forefront of social change through the many organisations he has supported over the years. Breaking Shells is a story rooted in truth and experience, and seeing it come into being – and be shared as it should be – has been a real joy. JT

My most vivid personal memory of this book, without wishing to spoil anything, is a particular secondary character who drops out of the story halfway through; it took me many chapters to realise they weren’t returning, but they somehow remained a presence because of their absence, a reminder of what’s at stake for the remaining protagonists. That kind of storytelling takes real skill – the ultimate in ‘show not tell’, where you don’t even have to show, and the story is told nonetheless.

You can pick up a copy of Breaking Shells in our shop here, and please enjoy 25% off with code LENDAL25. That code will work for the next two books, as well.

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I’ve had a deep fascination with end-times novels and films for as long as I can remember, so when The River Brings the Sea arrived as a manuscript I began reading immediately. I was gripped from the first chapter.

Ali Thurm wastes no time. The reader is placed straight into the heart of a dire climate disaster, as a monumental flood begins to sweep across the UK. As people are forced to move to higher ground, she crafts a story of high tension, richly evoked landscapes, and a wonderful narrative pace.

The heart of the novel takes place in an abandoned mill in Cumbria, where a group of disparate individuals – all with their own motivations and secrets – must co-exist and survive under the threat of NOAH, a malevolent military force. Each character is deftly drawn, and the reader feels their loyalties shifting with the movement of the plot.

For readers who love Sarah Hall’s The Carhullan Army, or Maggie Gee’s The Flood, The River Brings the Sea draws richly on the tradition of the disaster tale, exploring urgent themes including climate change, religious extremism, and the refugee experience. Absorbing, challenging, and ultimately redemptive, this novel caught me from the start – and has stayed with me ever since. JT

My comment on this book would be how vivid everything seemed: it played out like a film in front of my eyes, with each setting and its particular atmosphere brought to life with great skill and efficiency. You would never call this a ‘description-heavy’ read, so to achieve that kind of vividness is a real achievement.

I will also long remember watching this charming video of the author opening her box of books, and feeling nervous, even though I’d already been forwarded an email saying how happy she was with them! In the video, she reacts with surprise to the yellow ‘endpapers’, a special production feature I have implemented just for these three publications (dark red for Shells, dark blue for the next title). If you see a copy of any of these paperbacks on your travels, let me know what you think to the endpapers. (Or you could order a copy here, and host your own private reveal ceremony!)

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Rarely has a title intrigued me as much as Lithium Betty did. The author, Myrna Combellack, opened her email to me with a simple statement: How does it feel to go to work as an agency carer on Monday morning… only to be accused of robbery and murder by coffee-time?

This is the tale of an extraordinary woman, unappreciated in her job and thrown into a murder scene entirely by chance. A sparkling take on cosy crime, Lithium Betty is set in Cornwall and combines the worlds of big-tech mystery, small-town vagaries, and an eccentric, comical cast of characters.

Betty Reilly, our unusual and clever heroine, captured me from the start, and I loved the novel for its many intelligent layers. It is never easy to write comically while sustaining a story of twists and intrigue, yet Combellack does so with panache and charming confidence. JT

A confession: this is the first crime novel I have ever worked on, though I have read enough to know this is far from typical – it’s a really unique read, far more than any blurb can properly communicate. My most vivid memory is of the chapter titles; chapters are unnumbered and given wonderfully quaint, descriptive names like ‘Thank Goodness the Police Arrive’ and ‘Yet Another Story About the Brother’. I suppose it fits ‘cosy crime’ because, although someone is killed and plenty is at stake, my main emotion when reading it was joy – Betty reacts to all of these events admirably, takes them in her stride even. Just spending time with that character was a joy; a good role model, well done indeed. (Not sure if I’m saying that to Betty or the author!)

Of course, if you too would like to meet Betty, you can do so via our shop, and don’t forget your discount code: LENDAL25.

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That’s about it for today – I still have presents to wrap – but I hope those of you who celebrate at this time of year have a good one, and the rest of you find some peace and quiet (especially the former). Thank you for your time, reading this fairly long, sales-focused missive; I’ll be back soon with something a bit more chatty.