DHH Christmas Gift Guide

Here at DHH Literary Agency, we are slowly but surely getting in to the swing of Christmas: the odd carol sneaks on to the radio, the staff's Christmas buys are being delivered and Emily, David's PA, is drawing up her 'December Bakes' list (what? It's tradition...).

With that in mind, we wanted to suggest a few of our clients' books that we think would make the perfect Christmas present for your loved one - or even someone you feel indifferent to: everyone likes books, right? 

So! Without further ado, we present to you, the DHH Christmas Gift Guide...

Best Friend

• Late Summer In The Vineyard by Jo Thomas - buy it here
  The perfect getaway from the miserable weather that winter can provide, Jo Thomas' third novel takes her heroine, Emmy, to France to work for a wine-maker. Will it be smooth sailing...? Of course not!
• In Bloom by Matthew Crow - buy it here
  When Francis Wootton is diagnosed with leukaemia, his list of worries grows ever longer. But then Amber enters his life, giving him a reason to tackle it head on. A heartwarming and uplifting story of courage and determination.
• An Enormously English Monsoon Wedding by Christina Jones - buy it here
  Erin is engaged to Jay and planning her dream wedding. All is well... until his parents get involved. They are Indian and have firm beliefs about how their son's wedding should go ahead. Watch out - Bollywood's coming to Berkshire!
• Life's A Drag by Janie Millman - buy it here
  ​When Roz and Jamie move to leafy Suffolk, they are surprised to learn about the village's annual drag competition - will they join in the fun? Across the pond, Drew is fighting to save his club in San Francisco. A generous - and drunken - debut.

---

---

Sister

• ​Bright Stars​ by Sophie Duffy - buy it here
  ​When Cameron receives a letter from Christy, an old University chum offering up the chance of a reunion between them and two other old friends, he is forced to ask himself - has enough time passed to put that awful night behind them?
• Break Up Club​ by Lorelei Mathias - buy it here
  ​After breaking up with her boyfriend, Lawrence, Holly and her friends Olivia, Harry and Bella form the Break Up Club. They meet every Sunday and as the comedy and drama unfolds, they begin their journey towards healing their broken hearts.
• Christmas At The Cornish Cafe by Phillipa Ashley - buy it here
  The follow up to feel good Summer At The Cornish Cafe, Demi is hoping Christmas will be less turbulent, and it will... won't it? When Kit Bannen arrives in the small seaside town, it tests her relationship with Cal to the extreme. Can it survive?
• Counting Stars by Keris Stainton - buy it here
  ​When Anna lands her dream job at a theatre in Liverpool, and moves in to a great flat, she thinks she's landed on her feet. However the cracks begin to appear and taking to her blog, Anna vents - but maybe she should stop before she says too much...

---

Mum

• Sealskin by Su Bristow - pre-order it here
  Okay, so we know this isn't out until February, but why wait to pre-order this fab debut? Fisherman Donald witnesses something incredible - and makes a terrible mistake, impacting all the communities' lives. Can he ever make this wrong a right?
• Cat Among the Herrings​ by L C Tyler - buy it here
  ​Robin Pagham died in a sailing accident, seems reasonable enough. Except at his funeral, his girlfriend announces he was murdered. It's down to the team of author Ethelred Tressider and his inimitable agent Elsie Thirkettle to get to the bottom of it. 
• The Mysterious Miss Mayhew​ by Hazel Osmond - buy it here
  ​When Fran Mayhew shows up in the remote Northumberland villages, it rocks Tom's life - and he's not at all happy about it. But soon he realises there's more to Miss Mayhew than meets the eye - and it's not just his heart he's in danger of losing.
• The Promise by Alison Bruce - buy it here
  Part of the hugely successful DC Gary Goodhew novels, this instalment sees Kyle Phipps make a drastic decision when his life begins to fall apart. Meanwhile, Goodhew is compelled to take on the case of a murdered homeless man. Will he regret it?

---

Dad

• When The Killing Starts by R C Bridgestock - buy it here
  Part of the DI Jack Dylan series, this instalment sees DI Dylan take on the Devlin brothers, who only have one motto: never be caged or arrested. Can Jack remain professional and control his anger or will it be released?
• The Modi Effect​ by Lance Price - buy it here
  ​Former BBC Correspondent and Downing Street communications expert Lance Price gives us a fascinating insight in to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's awesome rise to power, his stunning election victory and its aftermath.
• The Evolution Of Fear by Paul Hardisty - buy it here
  The second in the Claymore Striker series, with the woman he loves missing and wanted by the CIA, Striker flees to Istanbul and then Cyprus where he encounters the Russian Mafia, Greek Cypriot extremists and corrupt Turkish developers. A thrilling read.
• Heads or Hearts by Paul Johnston - buy it here
  ​Edinburgh, 2033. A human heart is found on a football pitch, and then a headless body floats down the canal. Quint Dalrymple is called in to investigate - but can he keep a hold on his own head and heart? 

---

Grandmother

• A Time To Remember by Anna Jacobs - buy it here
  The first in the Rivenshaw saga, and starting just after the end of World War Two, we follow our heroine Judith Crossley as she navigates an abusive husband home from the front, and a shoulder to cry on that has the potential to be something more...
• In Her Wake by Amanda Jennings - buy it here
  Devastating news rips apart Bella's entire existence and everything she thought she knew, which leads her on a journey to Cornwall to reveal the truth behind a 25 year old mystery. A gripping psychological thriller to cosy up with this Christmas.
• The Pimlico Kid by Barry Walsh - buy it here
  Summer in 1963. Billy is in love with his neighbour, Sarah. But so is local cheat and heartthrob Kenneth Dunn. Something drastic must be done if Billy is to get his girl. What he didn't know is that 'drastic something' will have devastating consequences.
  
• Beautiful Losers​ by Eve Seymour - buy it here
  Kim Slade has a stalker, and when Kyle Stannard walks in to her life, she is sure it is him. A former model with a facial disfigurement, Stannard has a plausible explanation for his every twisted move. Can Kim prove he's her stalker before it's too late? 

---

Grandfather

• Short Walks from Bogotá by Tom Feiling - buy it here
  ​Writer and journalist Tom Feiling has travelled across Bogotá, down once-hazardous roads, and spoken with former guerrilla fighters, nomadic tribesmen and millionaires to put together this stunning work of travel writing.
• The Last Legionnaire​ by Paul Fraser Collard - buy it here
  London, 1859. After years of fighting for his country, Jack Lark returns to England a changed man and doesn't recognise his homeland. In an act of desperation, he is lead back in to the battlefield with a task he can't refuse.
• Hard Cover by Adrian Magson - buy it here
  ​Marc Portman is a Watchman for a wealthy Russian businessman. His job is to run security, evaluate risks and where necessary provide hard cover by fighting back. When his job takes an unexpected turn, hard cover seems the only option.
• The King's Return​ by Andrew Swanson - buy it here
  1661. When two gentlemen are found in a foul lane with their throats cut, it's Thomas Hill who is approached by the king's security advisor to help solve the case. As the killer starts preying on women, the action draws closer to Thomas and his loved ones.

---

Brother

• Why The Long Joke?​ by James Thomas - buy it here
  ​A very silly book for your very silly brother. A laugh-out-loud 288 pages of stories, poems, diagrams, lists and cartoons, this will have you giggling all the way from Christmas Day well in to the new year.
• Deadlights by Mark Giacomin - buy it here
  ​Raymond Chandler for the modern age, this gripping noir reads like a graphic novel. Revenge isn't easy when you're a moral man, but this particular man isn't going to let a little thing like that get in the way.
• Infernal​ by Mark de Jager - buy it here
  ​Stratus wakes alone, with no memories of his past. He knows his name and that he is not human. Disorientated and pursued by relentless enemies, he will have to find out who he is or risk bringing the world in to ruin...
• Pendulum​ by Adam Hamdy - buy it here
  ​With the television rights snapped up, this book is going to be big. John Wallace awakens with a noose around his neck. He has no idea how he got there or who his attacker is. When the pendulum of fate swings in his favour, he has one choice: run.

---

Girlfriend / Wife

• From Paris With Love At Christmas​ by Jules Wake - buy it here
  ​Paris socialite Siena's plans to hide out at her sister Laurie's cottage are scuppered when Jason meets her at the airport, he tells her Laurie hasn't lived there for months. After a rocky start, Jason and Siena begin to see one another in a different light.
• Snow Blind by Ragnar Jonasson - buy it here
  Ari Thor, a rookie cop, is on his first posting in the quiet town Siglufjorder, a quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland, where nothing ever happens... until a young woman is found half-naked and beaten in the snow. A taut and terrifying debut.
• Sixteen Shades of Crazy by Rachel Trezise - buy it here
  ​Prize-winning Rachel Trezise paints the perfect picture of a small Welsh village in the aftermath of a total drugs ban by the new police chief. But when drug dealer and shameless womaniser Johnny arrives, you can guarantee a few surprises.
• Yellow Room ​by Shelan Rodger - buy it here
  ​After her stepfather takes his life, Chala re-evaluates her own and volunteers at a Kenyan orphanage where she is caught up in the 2008 post-election violence. A dramatic tome to sink your teeth in to. 

---

Boyfriend / Husband

• Black Out by Ragnar Jonasson - buy it here
  Back in Sigulfjorder for the third instalment, Ari Thor and his team struggle with the perplexing case of a man beaten to death on a bright summer's night. Their investigation is not helped by the recent volcanic eruption, resulting in an ash cloud of darkness.​
• Half Plus Seven​ by Dan Tyte - buy it here
  ​Bill lived in a messy room & sold his soul to a PR agency. That was until a £10 psychic came along to save him. A (late) coming of age story of a jaded PR man seeking meaning and love in his life and addresses past.
• Born In A Burial Gown by Mike Craven - buy it here
  ​Set in the beautiful Cumbrian backdrop, DI Avison Fluke is on the case of finding out who killed a woman, execution style on a building site... a woman who has gone to significant lengths to disguise herself. Could Fluke be next on the killer's list?
• The Plague Road by L C Tyler - buy it here
  John Grey is tasked with investigating an unexpected admission to the Tothill pit. The man was said to be holding a letter before his death, a letter that could compromise many. Can Grey locate the letter before the Plague locates him?

---

Children

• Winter Magic curated by Abi Elphinstone - buy it here
  ​This sparkly, wintery anthology, with children's authors such as Piers Torday, Michelle Magorian and Abi Elphinstone herself, features snow queens, dragons and pied pipers. This will fuel a child's imagination no end (and keep them quiet whilst lunch is prepared)!
• The Dreamsnatcher by Abi Elphinstone - buy it here
  Molly Pecksniff wakes one night in the middle of the forest, having been lured there by the Dreamsnatcher. He is waiting... not content with having taken her dreams, he now wants her life.
• Gabriel's Clock by Hilton Pashley - buy it here
  Harry Potter meets The Hobbit: Jonathan wakes up, confused, in a strange woodland world with a quirky group of people including a stone gargoyle, a girl who speaks far too much and a werewolf. Will Jonathan be able to find out who he is before it's too late? 
• Lily and the Christmas Wish ​by Keris Stainton - buy it here
  When a town's Christmas wishes get mixed up, it is down to Lily and her pet puppy, Bug, to rectify the mistakes - and it must be done before Christmas Eve, or there won't be a Christmas at all...

---

Teens

• Waiting For Callback​ by Perdita and Honor Cargill - buy it here
  ​When Elektra is discovered by an acting agent, she imagines Oscar glory can't be that far away, but the reality is bouncing from one cringeworthy audition to another. Can an average girl like Elektra make it in the tough world of showbiz?
• The Deepest Cut​ by Natalie Flynn - buy it here
  ​Adam blames himself for his best friend's death and after a mental breakdown, is placed in a psychiatric facility, where he begins to note down all his feelings. A moving story of friendship and the aftermath of its destruction.
• Belonging by Sameem Ali - buy it here
  ​This is the shocking true story of Sameem Ali's upbringing, from being abandoned by her parents and growing up in a children's home, to being forced in to an arranged marriage with a complete stranger. A truly courageous journey.
• Alone​ by David Brazier - buy it here
  ​When the plane taking Sam and his dad back to the airport crashes, it leaves Sam seemingly alone on a remote island and he has to dig deep to gain access to the levels of resourcefulness he needs in order to survive. Will he make it out alive?

---

Colleagues

• Brindisa by Monika Linton - buy it here
  Packed with Spanish ingredients and home cooking, this is the perfect gift for the keen-cook colleague. Monika Linton founded the Brindisa shop in Borough Market in 1988; it has since grown to include five London restaurants and one in Barcelona.
• Bitten By Witch Fever by Lucinda Hawksley - buy it here
  Wallpaper samples from 1885 were found to have contained arsenic and this book presents a facsimile of samples from that age, complete with commentary guides. A sumptuous, fascinating talking piece of a book.
• William Armstrong: Magician of the North by Henrietta Heald - buy it here
  Any businessperson interested in engineering and inventing must take a look at this extraordinary biography of William Armstrong, the creator of Cragside in Northumberland, the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity.
  
• Tweet Of The Day​ by Stephen Moss and Brett Westwood - buy it here
  For the nature enthusiast in your office, Brett and Stephen take you from month to month through the changing lives of our nation's birds. This book is packed with incredible insights and facts you can impress around the (Christmas) dinner table with.

---

Well, that's it from us. We hope you've enjoyed our Christmas Gift Guide and even more so that you're inspired by the suggestions.

​From all of us here at the DHH Literary Agency, happy shopping!