27th October 2025
Paperback
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Description
How far will they go to find their story?
When Alexis meets Maeve – a reclusive woman in her eighties– they feel an unexpected and beautiful kinship. Alexis is embracing nomad life after burning out as a big-shot editor. And Maeve is mourning her glory days as a bestselling author.
Their friendship inspires Maeve to write again. Her last novel pours out of her - a story of love and heartbreak, centred around a bookshop in 1950s Paris.
But the line between fact and fiction is as fine as a whisper, and the novel unfurls a long-buried mystery, one that has haunted Maeve’s existence.
And will reverberate into the lives of both women, decades later…
PRAISE FOR IRIS COSTELLO
'A rich and tender story' Ruth Hogan, The Keeper of Lost Things
'The perfect winter read' Amanda Prowse, To Love and Be Loved
'Spellbinding, addictive, and beautifully written' Sophie Irwin, A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting
'Richly atmospheric, evocative and moving' Abbie Greaves, The Ends of the Earth
‘Makes for a spellbinding read' Rhiannon Ward, The Shadowing
'Beautifully written with a story that draws you in' Jane Corry, I Died on a Tuesday
Critic Reviews
Utterly compelling -- Heidi Swain on The Story Collector
Evocatively written, poignant and compulsive -- Emma Curtis on The Story Collector
Brilliant, twisty -- Sara Sheridan on The Story Collector
About the Author
Iris Costello is the pseudonym of bestselling author, Nuala Ellwood. She has a BA Hons degree in Sociology from Durham University and a Master's in Creative Writing from York St John University where she is a visiting lecturer. She is the author of seven highly acclaimed novels, the most recent of which was The Secrets of Rochester Place. The Story Collector is her eighth book.
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27th October 2025
