Classics Books

Book SynopsisOn his way back to Russia after some years spent in the West, Grigory Mikhailovich Litvinov, the son of a retired official of merchant stock, stops over in Baden-Baden to meet his fiancee Tatyana. However, a chance encounter with his old flame, the manipulative Irina - now married to a general and a prominent figure in aristocratic expatriate circles - unearths feelings buried deep inside the young man's heart, derailing his plans for the future and throwing his life into turmoil.Trade ReviewTurgenev to me is the greatest writer there ever was. -- Ernest Hemingway

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Book SynopsisOne night in the depths of winter, a bizarre and sinister stranger wrapped in bandages and eccentric clothing arrives in a remote English village. In this pioneering novella, Wells combines comedy, both farcical and satirical, and tragedy - to superbly unsettling effect.Trade Review[An] informative introduction... reading these OWC editions has enhanced my pleasure hugely; the introductions are always well written and give just the right amount of information to inform without overloading the reader with lots of irrelevant detail or academic jargon. * Leah Galbraith, FictionFan *Very smart-looking new editions of SF classics. * David V Barrett, Fortean Times *The ideas that Wells explores are as relevant as ever * Desperate Reader *

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Book SynopsisA Sunday Times top 10 hardback bestseller.Ancient secrets buried deep in Glastonbury's past.And one woman's quest to finally set them free.Cambridge, present day: Following the death of her mother, Abi Rutherford receives a mysterious bequest a misshapen crystal sphere known as the Serpent's Stone, which gives her glimpses into mysteries long concealed by the church.Western England, 25 AD: A stranger has come to the chilly Somerset wetlands, with a story of hope and reconciliation. But he is being followed by powerful forces, determined that he will not undermine Roman rule in Britain.Abi questions what connects these ancient events and her gift. Why do so many people seem desperate to hide the truth?A dark shadow has fallen across the centuries, and a woman is in fear for her life. But is it danger that awaits her, or the final truth so long whispered across the echoes of time?Readers LOVE Barbara Erskine:Atmospheric' ?????Enthralling' ?????Spellbinding' ?????Another fabulous read frTrade ReviewPraise for Time’s Legacy: ‘Marvellous escapist stuff’ Woman and Home Praise for Warrior’s Princess ‘A riveting timeslip novel’ Fanny Blake ‘Her forte is mood, atmosphere and the toe-curling frisson’ Elizabeth Buchan, Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisThe fast-paced new novel from the internationally bestselling author of The Best Laid Plans, Morning, Noon & Night and Bloodline.Someone was following her. She had read about stalkers, but they belonged in a different, faraway world. She had no idea who it could be, who would want to harm her. She was trying desperately hard not to panic, but lately her sleep had been filled with nightmares, and she had awakened each morning with a feeling of impending doom.Thus begins Sidney Sheldon's chilling novel, Tell Me Your Dreams. Three beautiful young women are suspected of committing a series of brutal murders. The police make an arrest that leads to one of the most bizarre murder trials of the century. Based on actual events, Sheldon's novel races from London to Rome to Quebec City to San Francisco, with a climax that will leave the reader stunned.Trade Review‘Sheldon is an author working at the height of his power’New York Times

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Book SynopsisMeticulously selected and artfully recreated, the selection of stories in Italian is vast and ranges geographically from Corsica and Sicily to Venice and the Alps. Calvino is himself clearly captivated by the folkloric imagination and communicates this in what is a fascinating and rich addition to folk literature.

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Book SynopsisThe Iliad has had a far-reaching impact on Western literature and culture, inspiring writers, artists and classical composers across the ages. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition features an introduction by classicist, writer and broadcaster Natalie Haynes, author of A Thousand Ships and host of her own BBC Radio 4 show, Natalie Haynes Stands up for the Classics.Paris, a Trojan prince, wins Helen as his prize for judging a beauty contest between three goddesses, and abducts her from her Greek husband Menelaos. The Greeks, enraged by his audacity, sail to Troy and begin a long siege of the city. The Iliad is set in the tenth year of the war. Achilles – the greatest Greek warrior – is angry with his commander, Agamemnon, for failing to show him respect. He refuses to fight any longer, which is catastrophic for the Greeks, and results in personal tragedy for Achilles, too. With themes of war, rage, grief and love, The Iliad remains powerful and enthralling more than 2,700 years after it was composed.This edition is translated into prose by Andrew Lang, Walter Leaf and Ernest Myers.Trade ReviewThe final book of The Iliad has to be regarded, for my money, as the first great work in Western literature -- Ranjit Bolt * Guardian *The granddaddy of all classics -- Luke Slattery * Sydney Morning Herald *All we read today would be unwritable without the ‘love,’ ‘death’ and ‘dark’ that come to us in the first book of The Iliad * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisTeffi's genius with the short form made her a literary star in pre-revolutionary Russia, beloved by Tsar Nicholas II and Vladimir Lenin alike. These stories, taken from the whole of her career, show the full range of her gifts. Extremely funny - a wry, scathing observer of society - she is also capable, as capable even as Chekhov, of miraculous subtlety and depth of character. There are stories here from her own life (as a child, going to meet Tolstoy to plead for the life of War and Peace's Prince Bolkonsky, or, much later, her strange, charged meetings with the already-legendary Rasputin). There are stories of émigré society, its members held together by mutual repulsion. There are stories of people misunderstanding each other or misrepresenting themselves. And throughout there is a sly, sardonic wit and a deep, compelling intelligence.

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Book SynopsisSet in the year after the 1929 crash and incorporating many autobiographical elements, ‘Babylon Revisited’ tells the story of the widower Charlie Wales, a reformed alcoholic and successful businessman returning to Paris to convince his in-laws to give him back the daughter he abandoned. As the old haunts of the city he used to carouse in seem more and more alien to him, he finds himself assailed by feelings of guilt and regret. Considered one of Fitzgerald’s finest and most poignant pieces of short fiction, 'Babylon Revisited’ is presented here with a selection of other tales published in the same period, such as ‘Crazy Sunday’ – an account of alcoholism and infidelity in Hollywood – which showcase the author at his creative best.Trade ReviewHe was better than he knew, for in fact and in the literary sense he invented a generation. * The New York Times *Table of ContentsContains: A New Leaf, A Freeze-out, Six of One..., Family in the Wind, What a Handsome Pair!, Crazy Sunday, One Intern, More than Just a House, The Fiend, The Night at Chancellorsville, Afternoon of an Author, Financing Finnegan, The Lost Decade, Last Kiss.

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Book SynopsisComing back to the "nest" of his family home in Russia after years of fruitless endeavours away from his roots, Lavretsky decides to turn his back on the vacuous salons of Paris and his frivolous and unfaithful wife Varvara Pavlovna. On his return he meets Liza, the daughter of one of his cousins, whom he had known when they were children and who rekindles in him long-smothered feelings of love. News of Varvara's death arrive from France, offering Lavretsky the prospect of a new life, but a cruel twist threatens to shatter his dreams and forces him to re-evaluate his plans. Hailed as a masterpiece of Russian literature, A Nest of the Gentry - Turgenev's most successful and widely read novel, here presented in a new translation by Michael Pursglove - deals with the personal struggles of the individual in a period of turbulent social change.Trade ReviewTurgenev to me is the greatest writer there ever was. -- Ernest Hemingway

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Book SynopsisHaving freed the city of Athens from the onerous tribute demanded by the ruler of Knossos - the sacrifice of noble youths and maidens to the appetite of the Labyrinth's monster - Theseus has returned home to find his father dead and himself the new king. But his adventures have only just begun: he still must confront the Amazons, capture their queen, Hippolyta, and face the tragic results of Phaedra's jealous rage. Piecing together the fragments of myth and using her deep understanding of the cultures reflected in these legends, Mary Renault has constructed an enthralling narrative of a time when heroes battled monsters and gods strode the earth.Trade ReviewMary Renault is a shining light to both historical novelists and their readers. She does not pretend the past is like the present, or that the people of ancient Greece were just like us. She shows us their strangeness; discerning, sure-footed, challenging our values, piquing our curiosity, she leads us through an alien landscape that moves and delights us.Mary Renault's portraits of the ancient world are fierce, complex and eloquent, infused at every turn with her life-long passion for the Classics. Her characters live vividly both in their own time, and in ours - Madeline MillerI never learned Latin or Greek; I wasn't raised on the classics, even in translation. All my sense of the ancient world - its values, its style, the scent of its wars and passions - comes from Mary Renault. Her Theseus novels are perhaps the most exciting of her Greek fictions, and The Last of the Wine the most moving. I think I turned to writing historical fiction because of something I learned from Renault: that it lets you shake off the mental shackles of your own era, all the categories and labels, and write freely about what really matters to you - Emma Donoghue

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Book SynopsisA diary for her innermost thoughts, a china ornament, a ten-shilling note, and a roll of flame-coloured silk for her first evening dress: these are the gifts Olivia Curtis receives for her seventeenth birthday. She anticipates her first dance, the greatest yet most terrifying event of her restricted social life, with tremulous uncertainty and excitement. For her pretty, charming elder sister Kate, the dance is certain to be a triumph, but what will it be for shy, awkward Olivia? Exploring the daydreams and miseries attendant upon even the most innocent of social events, Rosamond Lehmann perfectly captures the emotions of a girl standing poised on the threshold of womanhood.Trade ReviewEvery emotional ripple is beautifully observed: the hideous anticipation, the agony of the empty dance card, the brief flutters of hope as various men take her for a turn around the dance floor, the many small disappointments that follow and the sudden vivid need to escape from the crowd, to flee, to breathe * Guardian *Lehmann legitimised a type of writing that took on deep personal themes -- English PENA novelist in the grand tradition, and, more than this, an innovator, the first writer to filter her stories through a woman's feelings and perceptions -- Anita BrooknerLehmann has always written brilliantly of women in love, of mothers, of daughters, of suffering -- Margaret DrabbleNo English writer has told of the pains of women in love more truly or more movingly than Rosamond Lehmann -- Marghanita LaskiA novelist in the grand tradition, and, more than this, an innovator, the first writer to filter her stories through a woman's feelings and perceptions * Anita Brookner *Lehmann has always written brilliantly of women in love, of mothers, of daughters, of suffering * Margaret Drabble *No English writer has told of the pains of women in love more truly or more movingly than Rosamond Lehmann * Marghanita Laski *

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Book SynopsisOne of Cather''s earliest novels written in 1918 is the story of Antonia Shimerda, who arrives on the Nebraska frontier as part of a family of Bohemian emigrants. In quiet, probing depth, the story commemorates the spirit and courage of the immigrant pioneers whose persistence and strength helped build America.

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Book SynopsisWith an Introduction by Doreen Roberts, Rutherford College, University of Kent at Canterbury 'Examine your words well, and you will find that even when you have no motive to be false, it is a very hard thing to say the exact truth, even about your immediate feelings...' Adam Bede (1859), George Eliot's first full-length novel, marked the emergence of an artist to rank with Scott and Dickens. Set in the English Midlands of farmers and village craftsmen at the turn of the eighteenth century, the book relates a story of seduction issuing in 'the inward suffering which is the worst form of Nemesis'. But it is also a rich and pioneering record - drawing on intimate knowledge and affectionate memory - of a rural world that we have lost. The movement of the narration between social realism and reflection on its own processes, the exploration of motives, and the constant authorial presence all bespeak an art that strives to connect the fictional with the actual.

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Book SynopsisAs they relax after dinner on Christmas Eve, the members of a family and their guests turn to telling ghost stories. These ghoulish accounts range from the melancholy to the macabre, and get increasingly bizarre as the ghosts leap out of the tales and make an appearance in the family’s home. Fact and fiction, the real and unreal collide, until the reader is not sure who is haunting whom. A masterful work of comic horror, Jerome K. Jerome’s After-Supper Ghost Stories is a witty look at why Christmas Eve is so perfect for ghost stories and why ghosts love the Yuletide season.Table of ContentsContains: After-Supper Ghost Stories, Evergreens, Clocks, Tea Kettles, A Pathetic Story, The New Utopia.

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Book SynopsisFitzgerald's beloved account of the devastating costs of the American dream gets a fittingly gorgeous update in this high-end art-book edition, elaborately decorated by the famed Italian illustrators known at the Balbusso Twins. Featuring more than fifty full color illustrations that combine jazz age decadence with a sleek, almost futuristic sensibility, this elegantly designed volume brings the roaring twenties straight into the 2020s. Anna and Elena Balbusso are celebrated graphic artists with over 80 international awards to their name. They specialize in literary illustration, with several works for The Folio Society including their much-lauded take on Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. They continue their string of stunning illustrated editions of literary classics with an American classic that remains potent and relevant for today's economic divide. Whether you're a fan of classic literature, a lover of beautiful illustration and design, or a collector of exceptionally gorgeous books, this edition will please the eye as much as Fitzgerald's story challenges the status quo.

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Book SynopsisIf you love Bridgerton, you'll love Georgette Heyer!'The greatest writer who ever lived' ANTONIA FRASER'[My] generation's Julia Quinn' ADJOA ANDOH, star of Bridgerton'One of my perennial comfort authors. Heyer's books are as incisively witty and quietly subversive as any of Jane Austen's' JOANNE HARRIS_____________Horry Winwood doesn't play by the rules.So when her family are near ruin and her sister is about to enter a loveless marriage to a wealthy man to settle the family debts, young and headstrong Horry proposes to marry him in her sister's place.As her new husband's attentions fall elsewhere, Horry begins to feel increasingly unhappy.Then she meets the attractive and dangerous Lord Lethbridge and her days suddenly become more exciting.But there is bad blood between Horry's husband and her new acquaitnance, and as complications and deceptions mount, the social tangle grows ever trickier to unpick.Will Horry's gamble cost her everything she holds most dear?_____________'Elegant, witty and rapturously romantic' KATIE FFORDE'Utterly delightful' GUARDIAN'Absolutely delicious tales of Regency heroes. . . Utter, immersive escapism' SOPHIE KINSELLA'Georgette Heyer's Regency romances brim with elegance, wit and historical accuracy, and this is one of her finest and most entertaining ... Escapism of the highest order' DAILY MAIL'If you haven't read Georgette Heyer yet, what a treat you have in store!' HARRIET EVANS_____________Readers love The Convenient Marriage . . .***** 'Another good read from Heyer!!! I absolutely loved the characters!!!'***** 'Heyer's characterizations just sparkle and shine.'***** 'Absolutely delightful. As expected, really.'***** 'I enjoyed this historical romance very much.' ***** 'Splendid comedy, with a charming romance.'Trade ReviewWonderful characters and rapturously romantic * Katie Fforde *It is utterly delightful, all of it, and I am going to be sharing Heyer novels from now on with anyone I know who is in need of a pick-me up. * Guardian Book Blog *My favourite novelist . . . If you haven't read Georgette Heyer before, I envy you. What a treat you have in store! * Harriet Evans *Triumphantly good . . . Georgette Heyer is unbeatable * India Knight *Heyer’s characterisation and dialogue are an abiding delight to me. * Dorothy L. Sayers *

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Book SynopsisLittle treasures, the FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library. Each stunning, gift edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges. The original text is accompanied by a Glossary of Victorian and Literary terms produced for the modern reader. This classic epistolary novel is an intimate portrait of a wild Victorian life. It reveals the story of Helen Graham’s marriage to the handsome but dissolute Arthur Huntingdon and her escape from her marriage to the isolated Wildfell Hall. Helen refuses to marry her would-be lover Gilbert Markham and gives him her journals by way of explanation.

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Book SynopsisLittle treasures, the FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library. Each stunning, gift edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges. The unabridged text is accompanied by a Glossary of Victorian and Literary terms produced for the modern reader. The tale of Buck, abducted and mistreated and his gradual adaptation to the wild is a much heralded celebration of the power of instinct and the natural world. This edition includes four short stories: 'The Son of the Wolf', 'To the Man on the Trail', 'The Wisdom of the Trail' and 'An Odyssey of the North'.

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Book SynopsisIt’s 1943 and the war has brought rationing to the Hebridean islands of Great and Little Todday. When food is in short supply, it is bad enough, but when the whisky runs out, it looks like the end of the world. Morale is at rock bottom. George Campbell needs a wee dram to give him the courage to stand up to is mother and marry Catriona. The priest, the doctor and, of course, the landlord at the inn are all having a very thin time of it. There’s no conversation, no jollity, no fun – until a shipwreck off the coast brings a piece of extraordinary good fortune …Trade ReviewWartime food rationing is bad enough, but when the whisky supplies run out on the Hebridean islands of Great and Little Todday, nothing seems to go right. Then the fifty-thousand-bottle cargo of the shipwrecked S. S. Cabinet Minister brings salvation - in its most giddily intoxicating form.

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Book SynopsisFantomina, or, Love in a Maze is a novella by Eliza Haywood which charts an unnamed female protagonist’s pursuit of the charming, shallow Beauplaisir. Dealing with major themes such as identity, class and sexual desire, and first published in 1725, Fantomina subverts the popular ‘persecuted maiden’ narrative, and reaches a climax which would have shocked its contemporary readership. Moving to London, a young woman – let’s call her Fantomina – meets a dashing man at the theatre. After a short, but intense, fling, Beauplaisir grows bored of Fantomina, and leaves her. Outraged that she should be so treated, Fantomina discards her disguise in favour of another, and sets off in hot pursuit of her victim, and a game of cat and mouse begins. This edition features an introduction by Dr Sarah R. Creel, Bethany E. Qualls and Dr Anna K. Sagal of the International Eliza Haywood Society.Trade Review'[It] is right to deplore "Haywood's invisibility to modern political historians", but now we see her in focus, she matters for the imaginative power of her writing.' (Thomas Keymer, London Review of Books) 'Haywood's place in literary history is equally remarkable and as neglected, misunderstood and misrepresented as her oeuvre.' (Paula R. Backscheider)Table of ContentsIntroduction; Fantomina, or, Love in a Maze; Note on the Text

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Book SynopsisJust like the best walks, The Joy of Walking takes you on a journey with lots to surprise and enjoy along the way. Through the best of classic writing, this inspiring anthology shows how the simple act of walking goes to the heart of life itself.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning pocket size classics, this edition is edited and introduced by Suzy Cripps.Whether walking through awe-inspiring countryside or weaving your way through crowds in the hustle and bustle of great cities, we take thousands of steps a day. Finding meaning in movement can be difficult in today’s frenetic world. This may seem like a modern problem, but putting one foot in front of the other is something that authors have been writing about for centuries. Some like Gaskell, Wordsworth and Whitman extol the virtues of walking in the countryside, be it on one’s own connecting with nature or as the means to really good conversation with friends. Others like Dickens and E. M. Forster explore the thrill and dangers of moving about the city, by day or by night. In The Joy of Walking you’ll find a wealth of essays, poetry and fiction celebrating and exploring the joy of walking.

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Book SynopsisWidely accepted as Henry James' great masterpiece, The Portrait of a Lady is a poignant and intense exploration of freedom and identity. This edition is introduced by Costa Award-winning author Colm Tóibín.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. Intelligent, beautiful and vivacious, Isabel Archer fascinates and intimidates the elite society of Albany, New York. Fiercely protective of her independence, she travels to England with her aunt to escape a persistent suitor but, upon inheriting a considerable fortune, falls into the sway of the devious Mrs Merle who whisks her off to Italy. There she is seduced by the narcissistic Gilbert Osmond, an art collector who will stop at nothing to possess her, and whose connection to Mrs Merle is shrouded in mystery.

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Book SynopsisAndres, an Estonian peasant, purchases a smallholding in a marshy part of the country, which the novel is named after. He takes his young wife, and an incident with their cow sets the tone for a life of struggle in which the family grows and gradually lifts itself out of extreme poverty. They don’t only have to strive against the elements, but also against their neighbour Pearu, a wily and ruthless man. This Tolstoyan epic amongst the peasantry and the restless city (in volumes 2 – 4) tells the story of how Tsarist Estonia developed into the First Republic through the experiences of a family and in particular the partly autobiographical character of Indrek, who leaves the land to get an education at the end of this volume. This monumental work by Estonia’s greatest writer is a European classic which has for too long been neglected in the English-speaking world.

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Book SynopsisDiscover Thomas Mann's comic novel of deception and misplaced confidence - back in print for the first time in over twenty years. Waiter by day, man about Paris by night; the young and good looking Felix Krull has created for himself a personality to charm and deceive the world of wealth. When the Marquis de Venosta makes him a proposal that he can't refuse, the young Felix finds himself on the pathway that will elevate him into the world of riches.'The most astonishing work that Mann ever wrote and also one of the most perfect' Edwin Muir

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Book SynopsisThe four great comedies of Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest, were all written at the height of the controversial Irish author's powers in his last, doomed decade, the 1890s. They remain among the most-loved, and most-quoted, of all drama in the English language. Along with Salome, his darkly decadent dramatization of the Bible story, these immortal plays continue to pack theatres, and have been adapted for every kind of media. This Macmillan Collector's Library edition of The Importance of Being Earnest & Other Plays echoes the book form in which Wilde originally insisted his plays were published, and includes illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley and an afterword by Ned Halley.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.

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Book SynopsisINTRODUCED BY A.S. BYATT'She is undoubtedly one of the greatest American writers' OBSERVER 'A triumph' HERMIONE LEE 'Willa Cather makes a world which is burningly alive, sometimes lovely, often tragic' HELEN DUMORE On the eve of his move to a new, more desirable residence, Professor Godfrey St Peter finds himself in the shabby study of his former home. Surrounded by the comforting, familiar sights of his past, he surveys his life and the people he has loved: his wife Lillian, his daughters and above all, Tom Outland, his most outstanding student and once, his son-in-law to be. Enigmatic and courageous - and a tragic victim of the Great War - Tom has remained a source of inspiration to the professor. But he has also left behind him a troubling legacy which has brought betrayal and fracture to the women he loves most . . .Trade ReviewWilla Cather makes a world which is burningly alive, sometimes lovely, often tragic -- Helen DunmoreShe is undoubtedly one of the greatest American writers * Observer *A triumph -- Hermione LeeThe book holds in majestic and mournful equipoise both the nobility of the civilizing instinct and the certainty of its frustration -- Donald Lyons * The Criterion *

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Book SynopsisA brand new anthology of previously unpublished and uncollected supernatural mysteries by some of the masters of the Golden Age thrills, spills and chills perfect for Halloween.It is said that books are written to bring sunshine into our dull, grey lives to show us places we want to escape to, lives we want to live, people we want to love. But there are also stories that can only be found in the deepest, darkest corners of the library. Stories about the unexplained, of lost souls, of things that go bump before the silence. Before the screaming.And some stories just disappear. Stories printed in old newspapers, broadcast live on the wireless, sometimes not even published at all these are the stories you cannot find on even the dustiest of library shelves.Ghosts from the Library resurrects forgotten tales of the supernatural by some of the most acclaimed mystery authors of all time. From Arthur Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr to Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier, this spine-chilTrade Review‘A delightfully shiversome set of tales to be read over a series of dark nights.’—The Invisible Event ‘The collection is full to the brim with elegant and subtle writing, clever character studies and some masterclass-level misdirection. Perfect for a long winter’s night.’—Crime Review ‘Criminally spooky – would make a great Christmas stocking gift!’—FictionFan ‘Despite being hitherto “lost”, there are few duds here.’—Guardian ‘A particular favourite of mine was Agatha Christie’s Personal Call, written for the BBC’s Light Programme in 1954. This translates well to the page … as the story builds to a tense climax guaranteed to send a shiver up an unsuspecting spine.’—Crime Review

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Book SynopsisOnce again the eminent detective is presented with a series of seemingly impenetrable cases: an anonymous but illustrious client employs him to rescue the daughter of a famous personage from the clutches of a roguish aristocrat and suspected murderer; a retired art-supply dealer asks him to investigate the suspicious disappearance of his wife with a neighbour and a stash of money; a veteran of the Boer War appeals to him to track down a missing friend; a man has become convinced that his wife has been sucking their baby son’s blood. Will the most famous of sleuths be persuaded to offer his services and set off in pursuit of the criminals? The final collection of Holmes adventures, containing twelve brilliant, unpredictable stories, The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes is a fitting conclusion to its protagonist’s long career and a powerful send-off for Conan Doyle’s greatest creation.

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Book SynopsisOnce again, Goranson channels the epics of the past to take the reader on a journey filled with adventure, danger, and forbidden love I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, Viking tales, and mythology!' ? ? ? ? ? reader reviewWIFE.DAUGHTER.DREAMER.Anja Freydisdottir has always heard whispers of her mother's adventures in Vinland. All she longs for is to spread her wings and follow them but she's trapped by the expectations of 11th-century society.Liberation comes from an unexpected source when she is helped to flee across the Atlantic on a Viking longboat bound for Vinland shores.Haunted by the ominous shadows of a family history she does not know, Anja must seek a perilous path into an unfamiliar wilderness to find her answersThe Flight of Anja is an unmissable historical novel of epic adventure and forbidden love perfect for fans of Vikings and Outlander.What readers are saying:I really enjoyed this book, it was beautifully written, almost lyrical in its Trade Review‘Anyone who loves Vikings and historical fiction definitely should pick up this book’ Emily, NetGalley reviewer ‘Very lyrically written, I felt as if I was reading a song’ Tiffany, NetGalley reviewer ‘As a lover of mythology and historical fiction I knew immediately I was going to like this book – and I’m pleased to say I not only liked it but I LOVED it!’ Libby, NetGalley reviewer ‘Tamara Goranson’s writing really shines here. I felt the cold, heard the wind, flinched with the blows – that takes a lot of skill’ Dawn, NetGalley reviewer ‘Took me on a rollercoaster of emotions’ Charlotte, NetGalley reviewer

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Book SynopsisThis second volume of A.H. Tammsaare's monumental pentalogy portrays the education of Indrek who emerges here as the protagonist and will remain so throughout the next three volumes. This is a story of moving to the polyglot city and abandoning the countryside which at that time was the heartland of the Estonian language. This new environment is a vortex of prejudices and national rivalries nevertheless held together in practice by a strange and very human tolerance. Here Tammsaare writes with his trademark wit and deep understanding of human nature, and we find ourselves in the company of a vast gallery of larger-than-life characters who jostle, scheme and argue over both trivialities and the great issues of the human condition. They may do the latter out of their own intellectual narcissism or simply for the joy of debate, but the ensuing dialogues rival those of the great Russian novelists. The boarding school is as dysfunctional as any Dickensian one, but it is a great deal more benevolent. Russians, Germans, Poles, Latvians and Caucasians mix with the Estonian majority, speaking in a mix of Russian, German and Estonian, and somehow compromises are nearly always arrived at in spite of, or possibly because of some extraordinary theatrics, in which Mr Maurus must outperform not only all the other characters in the book but very probably all other celebrated headmasters created by European literature over the centuries. Indrek not only has to come to terms with this world so utterly unsuited to his shy and innocent rural upbringing, but he also has to deal with his first encounters with love and death.

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Book SynopsisTo the Lighthouse, considered by many to be Virginia Woolf's finest novel, is a remarkably original work, showing the thoughts and actions of the members of a family and their guests on two separate occasions, ten years apart. The setting is Mr and Mrs Ramsay's house on a Scottish island, where they traditionally take their summer holidays, overlooking a bay with a lighthouse. An experimental work that pushes the limits of what we know about the world and ourselves, Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse is one of the most beautifully crafted of all novels written in the English language.This Macmillan Collector’s Library edition features an afterword by Sam Gilpin.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.

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Book SynopsisLittle treasures, the FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library. Each stunning, gift edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges. The unabridged text is accompanied by a Glossary of Victorian and Literary terms produced for the modern reader. Perhaps one of the most well-known books in the world, Jane Eyre follows the life of its eponymous orphaned protagonist. From her early life Jane is strong-willed, passionate and kind but comes up against a lot of struggles. She lives with her aunt and uncle during early childhood, where she suffers under her aunt’s strict discipline before transferring to Lowood Institution. The story follows her life – through heartbreaks and joys, exploring women’s rights, social criticism, madness and morality. Charlotte Brontë created a powerful and emotionally evocative novel that has lost none of its power since its publication over 150 years ago.

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Book SynopsisSidney Sheldon's eighth novel, repackaged to accompany his memoirs, The Other Side of Me'.The world is on the brink of mutual destruction between the East and the West and Mary Ashley, beautiful, talented, intelligent, has been chosen to represent America as Ambassador to Romania. Thrust from her comforting, homely life in Kansas, she finds herself lost amongst the political turmoil in a foreign country where she is seen as the enemy and no-one is to be trusted.Then someone starts to threaten Mary and her children. Who can want her to leave so desperately and why? And can Mary decide who she can trust when her life is on the line?Sidney Sheldon is at his gripping best in this thrilling political page-turner.Trade ReviewPraise for Sidney Sheldon: ‘If you want a novel you simply cannot put down, go to Sheldon.’ New York Daily News

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Book SynopsisDon't miss this laugh out loud romantic comedy!Rachel Summers loves a to-do list: boyfriend, flat, great job.NOT on the list: being dumped.Best friends Emelie and Matthew ride to her rescue with an entirely new kind of list The Single Girl's To-Do List. Rachel doesn't know it, but it will take her on all kinds of wild adventures and get her in some romantic pickles too. And then it won''t be a case of what but who she decides to tick off: Mr. bendy yoga instructor, Mr. teenage sweetheart, Mr. persistent ex, Mr. deeply unsuitable.The Single Girl's To-Do List gives Rachel the perfect heartbreak cure and proves love is out there if you're willing to take a chance.Praise for Lindsey KelkWitty, funny, warm and wise' Marian Keyes, bestselling author of Grown UpsSo funny, so romantic, so charming' Beth O'Leary, bestelling author of The FlatshareAn absolute joy! Genuinely funny, engaging and sparkly' Jane Fallon, bestselling author of Worst Idea EverSwoops you up and fills your heart with such joy' Giovanna Fletcher, bestselling author of Some Kind of WonderfulSparkles on the page like champagne in the glass' Milly Johnson, Sunday Times bestselling author of My One True NorthTrade Review Praise for Lindsey Kelk ‘Utterly brilliant: super smart, achingly funny and just impossible to put down’ Rosie Walsh, bestselling author of The Man Who Didn’t Call ‘Touching, hugely enjoyable and properly laugh-out-loud funny’ Sophia Money-Coutts, bestselling author of What Happens Now? ‘An absolutely enchanting book … The perfect balance between sparkly escapism and big-hearted realness’ Sophie Ranald, author of Sorry, Not Sorry ‘As warm as a hug but as funny as a night out with the girls’ Laura Jane Williams, author of The Lucky Escape ‘Pure joy. Full of Lindsey’s trademark warmth and wit’ Alex Brown, bestselling author of A Postcard from Paris

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Book SynopsisYou will love this wonderfully warm and witty novel from Fern Britton, the Sunday Times bestselling novelist.When the residents of the Cornish seaside town of Trevay discover that their much-loved theatre is about to be taken over by coffee chain, Café au Lait, they are up in arms. It is up to Penny Leighton, hotshot producer and now happily married Cornish resident, to come up with a rescue plan. Armed with only her mobile phone and her contacts book, she starts to pull in some serious favours.The town is soon deluged by actors, all keen to show their support and take part in a charity season at the theatre. One of the arrivals is Jess Tate, girlfriend to TV heartthrob Ryan Hearst. His career is on the rise while hers remains resolutely in the doldrums. But when opportunity comes calling, it isn't just her career prospects that are about to change. Trevay is about to put on the show of its life but can the villagers, and Jess, hold on to the thing they love the most?Pendruggan: A CorTrade ReviewPraise for A Seaside Affair: “A light-hearted, fun and easy read that captures the essence of a family holiday in Cornwall and will make you yearn for a staycation in the West Country… You’ll gulp this down in a day at the beach.” – Daily Mail “Another ripping good read from Fern Britton” – Good Housekeeping “Charming and fun” – OK Praise for Fern Britton ‘Complicated friendships and tales of a chaotic love life make this a must-read.’ Woman ‘A light-hearted, fun read that perfectly captures the sights and smells of village life.’ Heat ‘Fern Britton has transferred her fun and friendly charm to the page’ Good Housekeeping Full of warmth and charm with characters that quickly feel like old friends.' Alexandra Brown

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Book SynopsisFrom the Orange Prize winning author of We Need to Talk About Kevin, this is the novel Lionel Shriver wrote directly afterwards. The Post-Birthday World is an unflinching account of the choices that unfold before us and what our decisions really mean.Irina McGovern's destiny hinges on a single kiss. Whether she gives into its temptation will determine whether she stays with her reliable partner Lawrence, or runs off with Ramsey, a hard-living snooker player.Employing a parallel universe structure, Shriver spins Irina's competing futures with two drastically different men. An intellectual and fellow American, Lawrence is clever and supportive, but rigid and emotionally withdrawn. A British celebrity, Ramsey is passionate and spontaneous, but jealous, undereducated, and prone to pick arguments. Their contrasting characters will colour her other relationships, her career, and the texture of her daily life.If love is always about trade-offsif every romantic prospect is flawedhow can we eveTrade ReviewPraise for The Post-Birthday World: ‘Those of us who rave about the dash and dare of Lionel Shriver’s fiction can rejoice that The Post-Birthday World, a ‘Sliding Doors’-style joint tale of alternative loves and lives, will garner the attention she always deserves’Independent ‘A compelling survey of the competing merits of security vs.desire.’Guardian ‘Shriver gives us another passionate novel…Like Sliding Doors, the tale splits into two, following the dramatic turns of each choice. Brilliant’Cosmopolitan ‘It's another domestic drama with a compelling twist…the power struggle between the sexes is spot-on. Shriver chalks her narrative cue with relish and, once the story gets underway, it's hard to take your eyes off the green baize’Tatler ‘The Post-Birthday World’ is about the dilemmas of love – a must if you were gripped by ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’’Harper’s Bazaar ‘perceptive and highly original’Closer

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Book SynopsisPresented for the first time on audio, the epic tale of Beren and Lúthien will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves, Men and Orcs and the rich landscape unique to Tolkien's Middle-earth in this unabridged recording read by critically acclaimed father and son, Timothy and Samuel West.Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, was deeply opposed to Beren, and imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien.Undaunted by Lord Thingol's challenge, Beren and Lúthien embark on the supremely heroic attempt to rob Morgoth, the greatest of all evil beings, of a Silmaril, one of the hallowed jewels that adorn the Black Enemy's crown.The tale of Beren and Lúthien, which was written shortly after J.R.R. Tolkien returned from the Battle of the Somme in 1916, was an essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion. In this book Christopher Tolkien has extracted the various versions of BeTrade ReviewPraise for The Children of Húrin:‘I hope that its universality and power will grant it a place in English mythology’Independent on Sunday

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Book Synopsis The Complete Short Stories is the most comprehensive collection of O’Brian’s short fiction ever published. An essential volume, certain to enchant O’Brian admirers as well as readers who are fortunate enough to be journeying with him for the very first time. Trade Review‘Narrative addicts all have writers to whom they return regularly to cheer or console themselves. Mine are Georgette Heyer, C.S. Forester, Margery Allingham and Dick Francis. I have just discovered another, Patrick O’Brian, and he is in many ways better and more satisfying than any of them.’ A.S. BYATT, EVENING STANDARD ‘Young writers ought, before lurching into print, to be obliged to learn by heart at least one of Patrick O’Brian’s short stories . . . O’Brian writes like a man to whom writing comes as easily as breathing: precisely, fluently, economically . . . perfect cadences.’ JANE SHILLING, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH ‘A Kafka in the countryside . . . O’Brian’s accounts of travelling have the clarity of the best descriptive writing . . . The astonishing achievement of these short stories is not just the author’s truth to the landscape, but his pitiless vision of the disintegration of personality when a living creature is struggling in a hostile world.’ ANTHONY EVERITT, COUNTRY LIFE ‘He is more than a merely popular writer. He is a very, very fine one.’ CHARLTON HESTON, DAILY TELEGRAPH ‘It is his ability to develop character, his delightful humour, and the emotion he can evoke, which keep the reader entranced’ TIMOTHY MO, SPECTATOR ‘The greatest historical novelist of all time.’ THE TIMES ‘There are two types of people in the world: Patrick O’Brian fans, and people who haven’t read him yet.’ LUCY EYRE, GUARDIAN

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Book SynopsisA strange houseA ghost from the pastAs soon as she moves into Hillside, Gwenda knows there's something strange about this house.A sealed room. A hidden door. The apparition of a young woman being strangled.But strangest of all this all seems quite familiar.As her friend Jane Marple investigates, the answer seems to lie in a crime committed nearly twenty years ago.The killer may have gotten away with murder. But Miss Marple is never far behind.Never underestimate Miss MarpleReading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.'Tana FrenchMiss Marple is spry, shrewd and compassionate.'Sunday TelegraphTrade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

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Book SynopsisA shocking crimeA mansion filled with suspectsRuth Van Rydock can't shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen to her sister at Stonygates house.Her old school friend Jane Marple decides it's time to pay a visit.But this grand Victorian mansion isn't just a family home it's also a correctional facility for wayward young men.And when something terrible does indeed happen, Miss Marple must face her most eccentric cast of suspects yet.Never underestimate Miss MarpleIf a genius is someone who leaves the field they work in totally different from how they found it, then we should certainly remember Agatha Christie as a genius.'Stephen FryNo one on either side of the Atlantic does it better.'New York TimesTrade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

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Book SynopsisJohn Buchan was born in Perth in 1875, the son of a Scottish Presbyterian minister, and educated at Glasgow. He gained a first at Oxford University, where he began writing, producing two volumes of essays, four novels and two collections of stories and poems before the age of twenty-five. He worked briefly as a lawyer, then served as a private secretary in the colonial administration of South Africa after the Boer War. During the war he worked both as a journalist and at Britain's War Propaganda Bureau, eventually becoming Director of Information. He published his most popular novel, The Thirty-Nine Steps, in 1915, and it has never since been out of print. In 1935 Buchan was elevated to the peerage, becoming Baron Tweedmuir of Elsfield, and later that year was appointed Governor General of Canada by King George V. He died on 11 February 1940.Trade ReviewRichard Hannay is, like his American brother Philip Marlowe, a modern knight errant. Charging through a hypocritical world, he is a seeker after truth with a boundless love of nature, a liking for simple pleasures and a hatred of pettiness and snobberies.... Buchan's novels are eerily resonant with today's troubles... Hannay is a hero for all times * Observer *The book is even more fun than the films * Guardian *The father of the modern espionage adventure * Sunday Times *Buchan makes superb use of wild landscapes in this economical and gripping story * The Times *Go into a bookshop today, pick up The Thirty-Nine Steps and I guarantee you will read it to the end. There is random and graphic violence, there is clear and present evil, eyes that are hooded 'like a bird of prey' - and a man 'skewered to the floor by a long knife through his heart' * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BEAST MUST DIE - NOW A BRITBOX SERIESThe annual Sports Day at respected public school Sudeley Hall ends in tragedy when the headmaster''s obnoxious nephew is found strangled in a haystack. The boy was despised by staff and students alike, but English master Michael Evans, who was seen sharing a kiss with the headmaster''s beautiful young wife earlier that day, soon becomes a prime suspect for the murder. Luckily, his friend Nigel Strangeways, nephew to the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, is on hand to help investigate the case. A Nigel Strangeways murder mystery - the perfect introduction to the most charming and erudite detective in Golden Age crime fiction.Trade Review"A master of detective fiction" Daily Telegraph "A thirties classic" Independent "It's an excellent introduction to this fine series of well-made and thoroughly engaging mysteries, which are some of the best of their kind." -- Laura Wilson Guardian "His plots are ingenious" Times Literary Supplement "The Nicholas Blake books are something quite by themselves in English detective fiction" -- Elizabeth Bowen

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Book SynopsisThe Penguin Classics list of medieval sagas grows ever more impressive with these two thrilling Norse sagasOne of the best-loved works of Icelandic literature, this stirring tale of war and romance follows three generations of strong women, wise leaders, and hotheaded warriors. The only saga rumored to have been written by a woman, it tells of the centuries predating 1245, when magic rites and sorcery clashed with the spread of Christianity throughout a rapidly changing Viking world. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning tra

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Book SynopsisThis is a haunting, elegiac novel which captures the mood and atmosphere of Italy (and in particular Ferrara) in the last summers of the thirties, focusing on an aristocratic Jewish family moving imperceptibly towards its doom. Vittorio De Sica turned the book into a film in 1970, winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1974.Trade ReviewPowerful new translations . . . Bassani began as a poet, and McKendrick's redelivery of this taut uncompromising fiction reveals resonance and generosity -- Ali Smith

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Book SynopsisThis is the definitive collection of short stories by Saul Bellow. Abundant, precise, various, rich and exuberant, the stories display the stylistic and emotional brilliance which characterizes this master of prose. Some stories recount the events of a single day, some are contained in a wider frame; each story is a characteristic combination of observation and a celebration of humanity.

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Book Synopsis“One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.” —The GuardianWhile on holiday, Inspector Maigret is drawn into the murder of a teenage girl and subsequent disappearance of her brother and must confront an evil that is hidden in plain sight   During their holidays in Sables-d’Olonne, Maigret’s wife is hospitalized with appendicitis and Maigret receives a strange note instructing him to visit a patient in another ward. To solve the mysterious case that has left a young woman dead and her brother missing, Maigret must give one of his best performances yet in a story laced with mood, class tension, and in the end, of course, justice.Trade ReviewPraise for Georges Simenon:“One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.” —The Guardian “These Maigret books are as timeless as Paris itself.” —The Washington Post “Maigret ranks with Holmes and Poirot in the pantheon of fictional detective immortals.” —People “I love reading Simenon. He makes me think of Chekhov.” —William Faulkner “The greatest of all, the most genuine novelist we have had in literature.” —André Gide “A supreme writer . . . Unforgettable vividness.” —The Independent (London) “Superb . . . The most addictive of writers . . . A unique teller of tales.” —The Observer (London) “Compelling, remorseless, brilliant.” —John Gray “A truly wonderful writer . . . Marvelously readable—lucid, simple, absolutely in tune with the world he creates.” —Muriel Spark “A novelist who entered his fictional world as if he were a part of it.”lle —Peter Ackroyd “Extraordinary masterpieces of the twentieth century.” —John Banville"Gem-hard soul-probes . . . not just the world's bestselling detective series, but an imperishable literary legend . . . he exposes secrets and crimes not by forensic wizardry, but by the melded powers of therapist, philosopher and confessor" ― Times (London)"Strangely comforting . . . so many lovely bistros from the Paris of mid-20th C. The corpses are incidental, it's the food that counts." ― Margaret Atwood"One of the greatest writers of the 20th century . . . no other writer can set up a scene as sharply and with such economy as Simenon does . . . the conjuring of a world, a place, a time, a set of characters - above all, an atmosphere." ― Financial Times"Gripping . . . richly rewarding . . . You'll quickly find yourself obsessing about his life as you tackle each mystery in turn."-- Stig Abell ― The Sunday Times (London)

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