Search results for ""turner""

Fans of S. J. Parris, Donna Leon, Steven Saylor, C. J. Sansom will absolutely love this gripping page-turner of a historical mystery from multi-million copy bestselling author Lindsey Davis. Full of twists, turns and tension - you'll be hooked from page one...'Queen of the humorous crime romp is Lindsey Davis.' -- Guardian'A pure delight, with Davis's unique blend of wit and humour brilliantly immersing us in the marvels of ancient Roman life.' -- Good Book Guide'Almost impossible to put down' -- ***** Reader review'My advice is BUY IT and READ IT as you will not regret it' -- ***** Reader review'Superbly written, gripping and compelling' -- ***** Reader review'A joy to read' -- ***** Reader review***************************************************************************FALCO HAS HIS DEADLY DAY IN COURTHaving returned from his trip to Londinium, Falco takes up employment with two lawyers at the top of their trade. For the trial of a senator, they need Falco to make an affidavit confirming repayment of a loan. Having been out of the country and starved of Forum gossip for some time, Falco has little interest in this trial, so he makes his deposition and then leaves.The prosecution are successful and a large financial judgment is made, but one month later the senator is dead, apparently by suicide. The heirs are now in a situation of not having to pay up, and the prosecutor suddenly decides to seek out Falco.With a little coercion, Falco joins the prosecution in seeking to persuade a magistrate to instigate a new trial. Blinded by the vision of rich pickings to be gained by the prosecution, Falco temporarily forgets that, if they fail, the financial penalties levelled against the informers who brought the case are potentially enormous...

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This volume stems from a conference held at Princeton University, which brought together leading scholars in the study of ancient religions. Claims to divine revelation are not simply a common trope in ancient religious texts: they often determine the structure of these texts and of the communities that produce them. The authors of the studies collected here examine the literary and social functions of revelation in late antiquity from early Christianity and rabbinic Judaism to early Islam, contributing both to our understanding of the phenomenon of revelation as well as to the study of the great transformations, interactions, and tensions typical of this important period. Table of contents:Philippa Townsend and Moulie Vidas: Introduction: Revelation, Literature, Community, and Late Antiquity Annette Yoshiko Reed: Pseudepigraphy and/as Prophecy: Continuity and Transformation in the Formation and Reception of Early Enochic Writings Christine Trevett: Prophets, Economics, and the Rites of Man Pavlos Avlamis: Isis and the People in theLife of Aesop John D. Turner: Revelation as the Path to Ignorance: The Sethian Platonizing ApocalypseAllogenes Gregory Shaw: T he Soul's Innate Gnosis of the Gods: Revelation in Iamblichean Theurgy Daniel L. Schwartz: Keeping Secrets and Making Christians: Catechesis and the Revelation of the Christian Mysteries Eduard Iricinschi: Tam pretiosi codices vestri: Hebrew Scriptures and Persian Books in Augustine's Anti-Manichaean Writings Azzan Yadin-Israel: Rabbi Aqiva: Midrash and the Site of Revelation Martha Himmelfarb: Revelation and Rabbinization inSefer ZerubbabelandSefer Eliyyahu Yuhan Sohrab-Dinshaw Vevaina: Miscegenation, 'Mixture,' and 'Mixed Iron': The Hermeneutics, Historiography, and Cultural Poesis of the 'Four Ages' in Zoroastrianism Michael E. Pregill: Ahab, Bar Kokhba, Muhammad, and the Lying Spirit: Prophetic Discourse before and after the Rise of Islam Patricia Crone: Angels versus Humans as Messengers of God: The View of the Qurʾānic Pagans

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This hot, two-in-one biography examines the complicated co-dependencies of the greatest but most dysfunctional mother-daughter act in showbiz, Debbie Reynolds and her talented, often traumatized daughter, Carrie Fisher. After years of feuds and separations, they reunited at the end of their lives. Today, their legions of fans like to think they're each doing fine, together in some galaxy far, far away. Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher were the greatest mother-daughter act in show business. Frank Sinatra stole her virginity, but she married pop singer Eddie Fisher for the “official deflowering” (her words). Through storm and rain, Debbie battled on, hitting a high point when she starred as Tammy in 1957 and her most memorable role was in 1964, when she was cast in the rags-to riches saga of The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Each of her three marriages was a disaster, the second one to a millionaire shoe manufacturing mogul who bankrupted both of them. Impoverished after the divorce, she ended up sleeping in her car. Debbie mingled with the élite of Hollywood in the dying days of its Golden Age. Luminaries included Clark Gable (“if I were only twenty years younger….); Judy Garland (who propositioned her); Lana Turner; Bette Davis (“she was my daughter”) and Glenn Ford, who fell in love with her. A rebellious daughter, Carrie grew up to endure a life of living hell—pill popping, drug abuse, chronic anxiety, failed love affairs, bipolar disorder, and electroshock therapy. Carrie sometimes protested: “I don’t want to be the daughter of Debbie Reynolds. I battled demons that set my brain on fire.” International celebrity came in 1977, when she played Princess Leia in Star Wars as an elaborately coiffed intergalactic princess, spearheading “The Force,” and strong enough to oppose the villainy of Darth Vader.

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A gripping international thriller, perfect for fans of Homeland. Trust. Betrayal. Conspiracy. Jacob Seger is a trainee diplomat who dreams of changing the world. But on his first posting, in Beirut, he meets a handsome stranger at a party and is swept up in a passionate, obsessive, affair. His relationship with Yassim eclipses everything – until one day Jacob recognises his own face in the newspaper. He is wanted on terrorism charges. Has Yassim set him up? Is he now a pawn in a murderous plot? Jacob is being pulled into a dangerous and complicated game. He needs to learn the rules, and escape Beirut – and he needs to do it fast. At once a moving love story and a gripping adventure, The Friend is an intelligent, urgent thriller that casts light on the dark threats facing the world today. WORLDWIDE REVIEWS FOR JOAKIM ZANDER: 'Fresh, raw and exciting' Sunday Times (UK). 'A thriller of rare ambition' Daily Mail (UK). 'Gripping and urgent' Irish Independent (UK). 'Timely and relevant' Literary Review (UK). 'Both forceful and subtle ... Powerfully orchestrated tension set against a strong dose of social commentary' Independent (UK). 'An absorbing thriller in a complex world of spies, politics, terrorism and assassination ... Excellent' The Times (UK). 'A multi-layered thriller full of style, drive and immediacy' Göteborgs-Posten (Sweden). 'Wonderfully written ... A superb thriller' Metro (Croatia). 'Intrigue, action and adrenaline mixed to perfection' Librería Reconquista (Spain). 'A terrific page-turner rich with complex conflicts and a big, meaty, chillingly credible conspiracy' Chris Pavone (USA). 'A riveting thriller with a great plot. What more can you ask for?' Lokalavisen (Denmark). 'An explosive, thrilling dance fuelled by authenticity' Il Giornale (Italy). 'A multi-layered, action-packed thriller' Dorstener Zeitung (Germany).

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"A riveting amalgam of history, family epic, anticolonial/antiwar treatise, cultural crossroads, and more, this latest from best-selling author Liu (Face) is a fascinating, irresistible marvel."—Terry Hong, STARRED Library Journal review "Liu's prose is masterful. A good choice for book groups and for readers who are unafraid to be swept away."—*Starred Booklist Review* "With a mesmerizing setting and transporting detail, Glorious Boy balances tropical beauty with raw, physical risk, and dives deep into grim truths about parental love and the power and limitation of language. This is a page-turner, sometimes violent but always revelatory. Readers won’t easily forget the trials this young couple faces, or the landscape that changes them all."—Five Star Review from The Seattle Review of Books What will it take to save Ty? This is the question that haunts Claire and Shep Durant in the wake of their four-year-old’s disappearance. Until this moment, Port Blair’s British surgeon and his young wife, a promising anthropologist, have led a charmed life in the colonial backwaters of India’s Andaman Islands—thanks in part to Naila, a local girl who shares their mysteriously mute son’s silent language. But with the war closing in and mandatory evacuation underway, the Durants don’t realize until too late that Naila and Ty have vanished. While Claire sails for Calcutta, Shep stays to search for the children. Days later, the Japanese invade the Andamans, cutting off all communication. Fueled by guilt and anguish, Claire uses her unique knowledge of the islands’ tribes to make herself indispensable to an all-male reconnaissance team headed back behind enemy lines. Her secret plan: rescue Shep and Ty. Through the brutal odyssey that follows, she’ll discover truths about sacrifice that both shatter and transcend her understanding of devotion.

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The second book in the gripping and heartwarming new Jubilee Lake series, from multi-million-copy bestselling author Anna JacobsLancashire, 1895. Lillian Hesketh has taken a new name, and a brave step towards a happier life. Suddenly widowed after an unhappy marriage, and pursued by her unscrupulous in-laws, Lillian finds a fresh start in the beautiful Ollindale valley. Thanks to the kindness of her new neighbours, Walter Crossley and his family, she finally has a home to call her own - but the threat of discovery by her husband's family still casts a shadow over her new life.Meanwhile, Edward Ollerton has returned to the valley to rebuild his ancestral home. Hoping to one day to marry and start a family, Edward finds himself drawn to the shy, attractive widow - but not everyone is happy to see him reclaim his estate . . .Will their dreams fade to dust, or can a golden future blossom on the shores of Jubilee Lake?Readers love Anna Jacobs! 'Amazing' - 5 STARS'Thank you, Anna, for the pleasure you give in all your books' - 5 STARS'Another brilliant, hard-to-put-down book' - 5 STARS'Can't wait for the next instalment' - 5 STARS'A real page turner, I can't wait to read the next one' - 5 STARS'Another triumph for Anna Jacobs' - 5 STARS'BRILLIANT READ' - 5 STARSBook 1 in the Jubilee Lake Saga, SILVER WISHES, is out now in hardback, eBook and audio ***Have you discovered all of Anna Jacobs' wonderful series? For a story of romance, drama and family ties on Daisy Street, try the BACKSHAW MOSS series:A VALLEY DREAMA VALLEY SECRETA VALLEY WEDDINGFor a heartwarming and emotional saga set in a Lancashire valley, try the BIRCH END series:A DAUGHTER'S JOURNEYA WIDOW'S COURAGEA WOMAN'S PROMISE

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'Superior crime fiction set in Iceland' The Times'As chilling as an Icelandic winter' S. J. BoltonSnowed in with a couple of psychopaths for the winter . . .When two small-time crooks rob Reykjavik's premier drugs dealer, hoping for a quick escape to the sun, their plans start to unravel after their getaway driver fails to show. Tensions mount between the pair and the two women they have grabbed as hostages when they find themselves holed upcountry in an isolated hotel.Back in the capital, Gunnhildur, Eiríkur and Helgi find themselves at a dead end investigating what appear to be the unrelated disappearance of a mother, her daughter and their car during a day's shopping, and the death of a thief in a house fire.Gunna and her team are faced with a set of riddles but as more people are quizzed it begins to emerge that all these unrelated incidents are in fact linked. And at the same time, two increasingly desperate lowlifes have no choice but to make some big decisions on how to get rid of their accidental hostages...The fifth gripping and atmospheric thriller in Quentin Bates's Icelandic crime series. A dark page-turner perfect for fans of Jo Nesbo, Henning Mankell and Søren Sveistrup's The Chestnut Man.Praise for Quentin Bates:'A great read - leaves you craving the next installment' Yrsa Sigurðardóttir'A perfect book to curl up with in front of the fire' The Bookbag'Well written and absorbing' Woman's Way'Captures the chilly spirit of Nordic crime fiction . . . Fans of Arnaldur Indridason's Reykjavík mysteries will want to add Bates to their reading lists' Booklist'[A] crackling fiction debut ... palpable authenticity' Publishers Weekly'A superb new series' Eurocrime

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A Groundbreaking new thriller by the former Commander of Special Branch who rose to a position co-ordinating all the secret services in London. This is a landmark debut novel for those who like insider fiction in the mould of Stella Rimington. Agent of the State is filled with the kind of authentic detail only a man in the know would be able to tell.A suspected terrorist is frisked for explosives on the Embankment. Operators do this so skilfully he remains completely unaware...In New Scotland Yard a new brand of manager fails to deal with escalating threats - 'aggressive indecision' is what Detective Chief Inspector John Kerr calls it...He discovers that cocaine-fuelled sex parties in Knightsbridge are pulling in businessmen, Russian diplomats and senior members of the British government...When Kerr's investigations are blocked by his bosses in Scotland Yard, he decides to go it alone and begins to expose a cover-up that extends to all levels of the British Establishment.Agent of the State is the first novel by Roger Pearce, a former Special Branch officer at New Scotland Yard who rose to become its Commander and a key player in Whitehall's intelligence network. It is an authentic account of the way the British intelligence services work at all levels and of the hypocrisy of the British establishment.'Vividly written and delivering a glimpse of what counter-terrorism feels like, it's a highly promising start from a writer who could well have a big future.'Daily Mail 'It's a tribute to Roger Pearce's ability that the plot never becomes impenetrable and there's an uncomfortable authenticity as real-life operations are referenced... a breathless, hurtling page-turner.'Financial Times

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'A colourful tale of love, lust, making good and revenge' The Sun 'Gripping from the very first page... this fast-paced, amoral story should appeal to fans of Peaky Blinders' The Lady Gangland was a man's world - but the women knew differentLondon, 1946.Alice Diamond, the Queen of the Forty Thieves, rules over her gang of hoisters with a bejewelled fist. Nell is a slum girl from Waterloo, hiding a secret pregnancy and facing a desperately uncertain future. Sensing an opportunity to exploit Nell's vulnerabilities, Alice takes her under her wing and, before long, Nell is experiencing the secret world of hoisting, with all the dangers - and glamorous trappings - that comes with this underworld existence. Alice has a longstanding feud with Billy Sullivan's all-male gang in Soho, and thinks Nell could be a useful weapon in her vendetta. But Nell has a secret agenda of her own, and is not to be underestimated. And the more she is exploited by both Alice and Billy, the more her hunger for revenge grows. As she embraces the seedy underbelly of London, will she prevail in carving out her own path to power and riches......and crown herself the Queen of Thieves?From Sunday Times bestselling author Beezy Marsh comes a thrilling new crime saga series, perfect for fans of Sam Michaels, Martina Cole and Jessie Keane. Readers are loving Queen of Thieves 'Gangland at its best''Oooh this book was so good...I am hooked now and can't wait to see how this series develops''This is a proper bang on London saga and I loved the characters...The author is spot on with all her research that makes this book such a unique read''WOW totally pulled into the storyline from the start... it's a real page turner I devoured in one sitting'

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"Gripping . . . everything he writes is thrilling" Literary Review"Hits the ground running and never lets up . . . Slick, sick and not for the faint-hearted . . . It will make you cry out (for more)" - Mark Sanderson, The Times on The Lost and the DamnedOlivier Norek: Former police officer, writer on SPIRAL and a million-copy bestsellerThe summary execution of three dealers - one murdered in full view of a police surveillance team - is the signal for hell to be unleashed in France's most notorious suburb. Now there's a new kingpin in charge, using his ruthless teenage enforcer to assert an iron grip on his territory. And the local mayor, no stranger to the criminal underworld, is willing to make a pact with the devil if it will secure her a third term.Enter Capitaine Coste and his team, ready to break the rules to prevent the drugs squad from throwing an elderly stash-minder to the lions as bait. But when the blue touchpaper is lit on the estates, it will be all they can do to save their own skins from the inferno.Once again, Norek draws on all his experience as a police officer in France's capital of crime - the same experience he drew on as a writer for the hit TV series Spiral - making Turf Wars the most authentic crime novel you'll read all year.What readers are saying about Olivier NorekYou can see the similarities with the TV series Spiral, which can only be a major positive!A hard hitting and gritty French crime read that makes an impact.A great thriller, sardonic, humorous, dark.I loved this book. Well written and had an authentic feel to it. A complete page turner.Translated from the French by Nick Caistor

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I-NEWS TOP TEN DEBUTS NETGALLEY TOP FEBRUARY READSWRITER'S GUILD AWARDS NOMINEE'A proper page-turner! Suspenseful, mysterious, spooky and witty - and great fun' Justin Myers, author of The Last Romeo'Adventurous, magical, and very, very funny!' Emma Jane Unsworth, author of AnimalsMeet Frida: divorce lawyer, cynic and secret descendant of the immortal love god Eros. She's about to have a really bad day . . . When a handsome but clearly delusional man named Dan bursts into Frida's office and insists that she is fated to save the world, she has him ejected faster than you can say 'prenup'. But a creepy meeting, a demon or three and one attempted kidnapping later, Frida is beginning to face the inconvenient truth: Dan is in fact The Oracle, the gods of Greek mythology are real and Frida herself appears to be everyone's only hope. The world is doomed. Bridget Jones by way of Neil Gaiman, this uplifting and laugh-out-loud story will change the way you look at love - and humanity - for ever.WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE GODS OF LOVE:'Smart, witty, and refreshingly - wilfully - free spirited. Mostyn's deft touch with dialogue and incident powers the story along. I loved it.' Netgalley reviewer'I really enjoyed this magical adventure, some really fun ideas about mankind and the search for love. The references to classic mythology were nicely done and the whole thing works well.' Waterstones Bookseller'One of my top reads for 2018, and I will look forward to more from Nicola Mostyn . . . I have found a new favourite author to add to my all-time favourites list!' Netgalley reviewer'More fantasy than romance. More gods than love. Grabs you in the first chapter and doesn't let go for the next three hundred pages.' Waterstones reviewer'A super-heroine story for the modern age' Amazon reviewer

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"Marino has a good eye for genuinely disturbing imagery. This novel hums with a terrifying momentum." - Kirkus The Larkin siblings are known around the small town of Wofford Falls. Both are artists, but Peter Larkin, Lark to his friends, is the hometown hero. The one who went to the big city and got famous, then came back and settled down. He's the kind of guy who becomes fast friends with almost anyone. His sister Betsy on the other hand is more... eccentric. She keeps to herself. When Lark goes to deliver one of his latest pieces to a fabulously rich buyer, it seems like a regular transaction. Even being met at the gate of the sprawling, secluded estate by an intimidating security guard seems normal. Until the guard plays him a live feed: Betsy being abducted in real time. Lark is informed that she's safe for now, but her well-being is entirely in his hands. He's given a book. Do what the book says, and Betsy will go free.It seems simple enough. But as Lark begins to read he realizes: the book might be demonic. Its writer may be unhinged. His sister's captors are almost certainly not what they seem. And his town and those within it are... changing.And the only way out is through."Marino offers horrors both existential and visceral." - M. R. Carey, author of The Girl with All the Gifts, on The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess"Dark and fascinating . . . Not quite like anything I've ever read before. A strange, compelling, late-night page-turner. It kept me reading way past my bedtime." -T. Kingfisher, author of The Hollow Places?, on The Seven Visitations of Sydney BurgessAlso by Andy Marino:The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess

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There’s plenty to do when planning the curriculum in primary schools. If it feels daunting, then one of the most helpful things is to talk to other people about how they have developed the curriculum for their particular subject or key stage.This is what John Tomsett and Mary Myatt have done. After the secondary ‘Huh: Curriculum conversations between subject and senior leaders’ was published, they were flooded with requests to produce a primary version. They enlisted the help of renowned primary specialists, Rachel Higginson, Lekha Sharma and Emma Turner to have conversations with primary teachers and key stage co-ordinators who are doing great curriculum development work.Each chapter provides insights into the importance of individual subjects and the unique contribution each makes to pupils’ cognitive and personal development. The subject chapters discuss the steps colleagues take to ensure that there is a coherent thread across the year groups, as the discrete subjects deliver, collectively, the primary curriculum. These conversations show how the craft of creating a rich, challenging curriculum for every subject is not a quick fix. This is a nuanced piece of work, and there are many ways of approaching it. Each chapter also contains links to subject associations and helpful resources. Primary Huh has been written for subject leaders and key stage co-ordinators; it has also been written for senior leaders, as they prepare to have supportive conversations with their colleagues who are responsible for curriculum development. Primary Huh is offered as a prompt rather than the last word. Informed debate is, as they say, the fuel of curriculum development.And why have John and Mary called it ‘Huh’? Well, John discovered that Huh is the Egyptian god of endlessness, creativity, fertility and regeneration, and they thought that was a pretty good metaphor for their work on the curriculum!

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When a human skeleton is discovered at the site of a controversial new dam in remote northern Botswana, rookie Detective Kubu is drawn into a terrifying local feud, and discovers a deadly covenant that could change everything… ‘A wonderful, original voice – McCall Smith with a dark edge and even darker underbelly’ Peter James ‘Stanley gets everything – the dialogue, the terrain descriptions, the plot beats – right … and with a complex and endearing protagonist’ Publishers Weekly STARRED review ‘A real page turner, perfect for those who like their mysteries complex, and want something a little different’ Strand Magazine _____________________________________ While building a pipeline near the Okavango Delta, a contractor unearths the remains of a long-dead Bushman. Rookie Detective David ‘Kubu’ Bengu of Botswana CID and Scottish pathologist, Ian MacGregor, are sent to investigate, and MacGregor discovers eight more skeletons. Shortly after the gruesome discoveries, the elder of a nearby village is murdered in his home. The local police are convinced it was a robbery, but Kubu isn’t so sure … and neither is the strange woman who claims that an angry river spirit caused the elder’s death. As accusations of corruption are levelled and international outrage builds over the massacre of the Bushman families, Kubu and his colleagues uncover a deadly covenant, and begin to fear that their own lives may be in mortal danger… ____________________________ ’My favourite writing duo since Ellery Queen’ Ragnar Jónasson ‘Great African crime fiction’ Deon Meyer ‘Michael Stanley weaves together the core mystery and the landscape of Africa in magical ways’ Bolo Books ‘Kubu is an excellent, if large, companion for readers entering his unfamiliar land’ Reviewing the Evidence ‘What an outstanding read!’ Kings River Life magazine ‘The African Columbo’ Entertainment Weekly

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The Alps are Europe's highest mountain range; their broad arc stretches right across the centre of the continent, encompassing a wide range of traditions and cultures. In former times the mountains were feared as the realm of wild and dangerous beasts, and the few travellers who ventured over high passes such as the Simplon or the Great St. Bernard expected to encounter tempests and torments of hellish proportions. But over time the Alps became celebrated by writers for their beauty rather than their savagery. In the nineteenth century, inspired in part by the work of poets such as Byron and Shelley, tourists began flocking to the mountains, and with the development of winter sports a hundred years ago the fate of the Alps as one of the great tourist playgrounds of the world was sealed. Andrew Beattie explores the turbulent past and vibrant present of this landscape, where early pioneers of tourism, mountaineering and scientific research, along with the enduring legacies of historical regimes from the Romans to the Nazis, have all left their mark. Historical Figures: From Julius Caesar and Hannibal to Napoleon and William Tell, the position of the Alps at the heart of Europe has led to centuries of war and conflict. Folklore and Tradition: The wildness of the mountains has inspired a unique popular culture, from legendary tales of dragons flying among the peaks to performances of religious passion plays in valley towns. Writers, Artists and Film-Makers: From the Romantic poets to Charles Dickens and Mark Twain; from Turner and Ruskin to the film-maker Leni Riefenstahl; from James Bond to Heidi and The Sound of Music; the beautiful scenery of the Alps has provided the setting for dozens of books, poems, films and paintings through the centuries.

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"His is a warm, charming page turner of an autobiography: from start to finish full of fascinating characters, incredible and amusing anecdotes, self-effacing humour and wry asides, beautifully detailed observations and, of course, stuffed with great nuggets of jewellery and art history." — The Jeweller Magazine "In this dazzling memoir revealing his encounters with royal and celebrity clients including the Queen Mother, Sir Elton John, Dame Joanna Lumley and Frank Sinatra, Antiques Roadshow presenter and jewellery expert Geoffrey Munn reflects on his stellar career, having spent more than five decades bejewelling some of the biggest names in the world." — Hello! "In this colourful and witty narrative, Geoffrey Munn, OBE, MVO, FSA, FLS, best known as a presenter on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, reflects on his career in the London art world, spanning over 50 years." — Arts & Collections magazine Born and bred in Sussex, Geoffrey Munn, Antiques Roadshow presenter and jewellery expert, came from a traditional rural background – but only weeks after leaving a country Grammar School in 1972, he was plunged into the vortex of the London art world. It was the beginning of the career of a lifetime at the famous firm of Wartski, whose showrooms scintillated with gem-set necklaces, tiaras and three of the famous Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs. In a colourful and witty narrative, Geoffrey relates his daunting but delightful encounters with HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, HRH Princess Margaret and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. In their wake, Geoffrey met a rich variety of luminaries, including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Joanna Lumley, Stephen Fry, Elton John, Vivienne Westwood and Dame Edna Everage. This is certainly a rapid and amusing read but it is also unique study of a narrow and fast-changing society.

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‘Joyful, exuberant, and crackling with adventure.' STUART TURTON‘A clever and beautiful novel about the power of books.’ SUNYI DEAN‘Full of magic, wonder and heart.’ ANITA FRANK‘A magical, mesmerising adventure from the very first page.’ A. J. WEST ----------------------------------Because some doors should never be opened.New York bookseller Cassie Andrews is not sure what she’s doing with her life. She lives quietly, sharing an apartment with her best friend, Izzy. Then a favourite customer gives her an old book. Full of strange writing and mysterious drawings, at the very front there is a handwritten message:This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door.Cassie is about to discover that the Book of Doors is a special book – a magic book. A book that bestows extraordinary abilities on whoever possesses it. And she is about to learn that there are other magic books out there that can also do wondrous – or dreadful and terrifying – things.Because where there is magic there is power and there are those who will stop at nothing to possess it. Suddenly Cassie and Izzy are confronted by violence and danger, and the only person who can help them is Drummond Fox who has a secret library of magical books hidden in the shadows for safekeeping, a man fleeing his own demons. Because there is a nameless evil out there that is hunting them all . . .Because this book is worth killing for.Addictive, brilliantly written and utterly irresistible, The Book of Doors is the spell-binding, mind-bending, heart-pounding new adventure that is perfect for fans of The Binding, The Midnight Library and A Discovery of Witches . . .----------------------------------‘A stunning fever dream of a story.’ LEE CHILD‘A beautiful, unputdownable love letter to books.’ BETH LEWIS‘A real page-turner – incredibly ambitious and inventive.’ ROSIE ANDREWS

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Fans of HBO's Succession and Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl will love this "clever thriller" (Publisher's Weekly). "Dani Lamia explores the dark side of the human experiment in this fast-paced page-turner with an ending that I never saw coming. Worth reading!" —D.R. Rosentsteel, Amazon reviewer Winning the game could change your life. But losing the game could end it. Caitlin Nylo gave up everything to turn her father's game company into a worldwide success. Along the way, she lost her mother, her marriage, and she barely sees her children. She's rich, driven, and brilliant. But she's also alone. After her eccentric father passes away, Caitlin is furious when she learns that instead of leaving the company and its fortunes to her, he has chosen to make his heirs compete in one last game: a scavenger hunt with a multi-billion dollar inheritance waiting at the end. But old secrets and sibling rivalry soon take a dark turn, as Caitlin and the others confront the demons of their past in their search for clues. And when a live video reveals the brutal murder of her greedy brother, the surviving heirs discover the terrifying truth. Someone else is playing the game with them. Someone who will do anything to protect one final secret. What began as a scavenger hunt has been twisted into a maniacal deathtrap, from which there is no escape. And when the game is over, only one of them will remain alive. "A very contemporary twist on Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None . '" —Pradapoet, Amazon reviewer "This punchy and often witty novel will appeal to the game-player in everyone." — Publishers Weekly "And the end game contains twist after twist that will leave you reeling -- and so happy not to be a Nylo!" —Shari Held, Amazon reviewer For more from Dani Lamia, check out 666 Gable Way.

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From the bestselling author of The Clockmaker's Daughter, Kate Morton, comes a breathtaking mystery of love, lies and a cold case come back to life, told with her trademark intricacy and beauty.Adelaide Hills, Christmas Eve, 1959.At the end of a scorching hot day, beside a creek in the grounds of a grand and mysterious mansion, a local delivery man makes a terrible discovery. A police investigation is called and the small town of Tambilla becomes embroiled in one of the most shocking and perplexing murder cases in the history of South Australia.Sixty years later, Jess is a journalist in search of a story. Having lived and worked in London for almost twenty years, she now finds herself laid off from her full-time job and struggling to make ends meet. A phone call out of nowhere summons her back to Sydney, where her beloved grandmother, Nora, who raised Jess when her mother could not, has suffered a fall and been raced to the hospital.At a loose end in Nora's house, Jess does some digging into her past. In Nora's bedroom, she discovers a true crime book, chronicling the police investigation into a long-buried tragedy: the Turner Family Tragedy of Christmas Eve, 1959. It is only when Jess skims through the book that she finds a shocking connection between her own family and this once-infamous crime – a crime that has never been truly solved. And for a journalist without a story, a cold case might be the best distraction she can find . . .An epic novel that spans generations, Homecoming asks what we would do for those we love, and how we protect the lies we tell. It explores the power of motherhood, the corrosive effects of tightly held secrets, and the healing nature of truth.

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An illustrated history of the long Cold War careers of the US Navy's last gun destroyers, from the modernized World War II-era Fletcher-class to the Forrest Sherman-class. The finest American destroyers of World War II had surprisingly long careers into the Cold War and the missile age. The 175-strong Fletcher-class was the largest class of US Navy destroyers ever built, and most received some modernization after World War II. A handful were converted into ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) escorts and one was even converted into the US Navy’s first guided missile destroyer. Many Sumner-class destroyers were also kept in service, with the last decommissioned in 1973. The Gearing class was the classic US Navy wartime destroyer to have a second Cold War career, some being modified into picket ships and others into ASW escorts. Ninety-five were extensively modernized under the Fleet Modernization and Rehabilitation (FRAM) program which allowed them to serve until 1980. The majority of these ships then saw service with foreign navies. However the story of Cold War gun destroyers is not just one of World War II relics. Commissioned in the 1950s, the 18 ships of the Forrest Sherman class were the US Navy’s last all-gun destroyers, and were considered to be the pinnacle of US Navy gun-destroyer design. Later in their careers, most were modernized for ASW and antiair warfare. The virtually unknown Norfolk class was originally built as a destroyer leader and maximized for ASW but only two were modernized and the other three retired early. Many of these ships, such as USS Edson, Cassin Young, and Turner Joy, still survive as museum ships today. Using battlescene artwork, detailed illustrations and photos, this book explores the careers, modernizations, and roles of all these unsung Cold War stalwarts, the last gun destroyers of the US Navy.

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Celebrate of the history and significance of both the Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster for the company’s 75th anniversary in this combined edition of Dave Hunter's two best-selling books! The Fender Telecaster, created in Les Fender’s Fullerton, California, workshop and introduced in 1950, is a working-class hero and the ultimate blue-collar guitar. It wasn’t meant to be elegant, pretty, or sophisticated. Designed to be a utilitarian musical instrument, it has lived up to that destiny. In the hands of players from Muddy Waters to James Burton, Bruce Springsteen to Joe Strummer, the Telecaster has made the music of working people—country, blues, punk, rock ’n’ roll, and even jazz. Fender’s Stratocaster is arguably the number-one instrument icon of the guitar world. When introduced in 1954, its offset space-age lines, contoured body, and three-pickup configuration set the music world on its ear—it was truly unlike any guitar that had come before. In the hands of the world’s most beloved players, such as Buddy Holly, Eric Clapton, Ike Turner, and, yes, Jimi Hendrix, the Stratocaster has since become a popular instrument of choice among rock, blues, jazz, and country players and, not coincidentally, is also one of the most copied electric guitars of all time. In this authoritatively written, painstakingly curated, and gloriously presented combined edition to celebrate Fender’s 75th anniversary, author Dave Hunter covers both of the guitar’s histories from concept, design, and model launch through its numerous variations and right up to the present. The story is richly illustrated with archival images, musicians in action, studio shots, memorabilia, and profiles of over 50 Tele and Strat slingers through the ages. With its unprecedented level of detail and stunning visuals, Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster is the only book tribute worthy of the world’s two greatest guitars.

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A Sunday Times Art Book of the Year A visual journey through five centuries of the city known for centuries as 'La Serenissima' – a unique and compelling story for both lovers of Venice and lovers of its art. Venice was a major centre of art in the Renaissance: the city where the medium of oil on canvas became the norm. The achievements of the Bellini brothers, Carpaccio, Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese are a key part of this story. Nowhere else has been depicted by so many great painters in so many diverse styles and moods. Venetian views were a speciality of native artists such as Canaletto and Guardi, but the city has also been represented by outsiders: J. M. W. Turner, Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, Howard Hodgkin, and many more. Then there are those who came to look at and write about art. The reactions of Henry James, George Eliot, Richard Wagner and others enrich this tale. Nor is the story over. Since the advent of the Venice Biennale in the 1890s, and the arrival of pioneering modern art collector Peggy Guggenheim in the late 1940s, the city has become a shop window for the contemporary art of the whole world, and it remains the site of important artistic events. In this elegant volume, Gayford – who has visited Venice countless times since the 1970s, covered every Biennale since 1990, and even had portraits of himself exhibited there on several occasions – takes us on a visual journey through the past five centuries of the city known ‘La Serenissima’, the Most Serene. It is a unique and compelling portrait of Venice that will delight lovers of the city and lovers of its art.

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A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice: A vivid account of the generations-long dispute over Bayes' rule, one of the greatest breakthroughs in the history of applied mathematics and statistics"An intellectual romp touching on, among other topics, military ingenuity, the origins of modern epidemiology, and the theological foundation of modern mathematics."—Michael Washburn, Boston Globe"To have crafted a page-turner out of the history of statistics is an impressive feat. If only lectures at university had been this racy."—David Robson, New Scientist Bayes' rule appears to be a straightforward, one-line theorem: by updating our initial beliefs with objective new information, we get a new and improved belief. To its adherents, it is an elegant statement about learning from experience. To its opponents, it is subjectivity run amok.In the first-ever account of Bayes' rule for general readers, Sharon Bertsch McGrayne explores this controversial theorem and the human obsessions surrounding it. She traces its discovery by an amateur mathematician in the 1740s through its development into roughly its modern form by French scientist Pierre Simon Laplace. She reveals why respected statisticians rendered it professionally taboo for 150 years—at the same time that practitioners relied on it to solve crises involving great uncertainty and scanty information (Alan Turing's role in breaking Germany's Enigma code during World War II), and explains how the advent of off-the-shelf computer technology in the 1980s proved to be a game-changer. Today, Bayes' rule is used everywhere from DNA de-coding to Homeland Security.Drawing on primary source material and interviews with statisticians and other scientists, The Theory That Would Not Die is the riveting account of how a seemingly simple theorem ignited one of the greatest controversies of all time.

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Bestselling phenomenon Simon McCleave is back with another gripping, atmospheric new crime thriller set on the Isle of Anglesey, Wales. On a remote island, there’s nowhere to run… When a teenage boy goes missing on a camping trip with his friends, the close-knit community of Anglesey is shaken. DI Laura Hart is brought in to lead the murder investigation and instantly feels the pressure, not least because her colleague’s son was the last to see the missing boy alive. Laura’s investigations force her to delve into the tangled web of relationships and personal lives of her own neighbours. The trail leads her to uncover a religious cult called The Fair Men, who locals say have a dark history and still hold their ceremonies on the island where the boys were camping. But could it be that yet more secrets are hidden behind closed doors? Amongst all the mysteries and lies, Laura is sure about one thing: the island will not give up the truth easily… A pulse-pounding, atmospheric crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of L.J. Ross , Ann Cleeves , Elly Griffiths and Val McDermid . Readers love Simon McCleave! ‘The fact that I've already pre-ordered the next book in this series says it all really.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘If you've never read Simon’s books, take the chance and find yourself a new go-to writer.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Good action with unpredictable twists and turns to keep you from putting down the book.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Thanks, Simon, for another great book- please keep ‘em coming!!!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Not enjoyed a book more for years! A real page-turner.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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“A gripping and thrilling tale. The writing was INCREDIBLE!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Her letters can save the country. But can she be trusted? A double agent. As World War Two rages, MI5 agent Sarah Gillespie is faced with her toughest challenge yet: handling Adeline Vernier, a mysterious double agent from Paris. A dangerous mission. Adeline’s coded letters could help the Allies defeat the Germans – but, in return, she demands that her boyfriend is rescued from Nazi-occupied France. Adeline is not above threatening to double-cross MI5 to get what she wants, leaving Sarah fearful for the millions of lives at stake. Letters that could change their lives forever. As they embark on a secret operation through Lisbon, they must tread carefully to avoid the clutches of the Nazis. But will they make it out alive, together? Or is the enemy closer than they realise? A gripping and completely addictive page-turner of extraordinary courage and bravery. Perfect for fans of Kate Quinn's The Rose Code, and Pam Jenoff’s Code Name Sapphire. Readers are obsessed with Pam Lecky: “A great book for spy lovers. Full of suspense, betrayal, and suspicion!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A historical fiction winner! Sandwiched between slices of good plot and likable characters. I definitely recommend this book!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A nail biting, gripping book that had me absolutely hooked from the first page.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A gripping WW2 story of bravery, love and treachery.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I think this is the quickest I have ever read a book – I just couldn’t put it down!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Action packed! I can't wait for the next book in this absorbing series!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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‘An ingenious plot, a captivating cast of character, and twists and turns that kept me guessing to the last page, loved it!’ Amanda Reynolds What happens when your worst nightmare comes true? One spring morning, a bus full of children and their teachers from a Cotswolds primary school head off on a much-anticipated day trip. But as night falls and the well-heeled parents – one or two of them famous, as well as wealthy – wait at the school to collect their weary offspring, it soon becomes clear that something has gone very wrong. The children and their teachers simply do not come back. What’s happened doesn’t seem possible. How can an entire class of children simply vanish? Have you read a Jackie Kabler thriller yet? See why readers devour her writing… ‘One of the best thrillers of the year’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Suspenseful, full of tension and absolutely gripping’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An absolute corker . . . totally engrossing and superbly written’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I was totally captivated’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An absolutely incredible thriller . . . must-read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A roller coaster of a read, so many twists and turns’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Great suspense . . . a brilliant read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Will keep you on the edge of your seat’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Phenomenal . . . truly remarkable and amazingly unpredictable’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The concept is pure genius’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Perfectly paced’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This is prime for a TV adaptation’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A great page turner with plenty of twists’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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* 'Great art has dreadful manners...' Simon Schama observes at the start of his epic exploration of the power, and whole point, of art. 'The hushed reverence of the gallery can fool you into believing masterpieces are polite things, visions that soothe, charm and beguile, but actually they are thugs. Merciless and wily, the greatest paintings grab you in a headlock, rough up your composure and then proceed in short order to re-arrange your sense of reality...' * With the same disarming force, Power of Art jolts us far from the comfort zone of the hushed art gallery, as Schama closes in on intense make-or-break turning points in the lives of eight great artists who, under extreme stress, created something unprecedented, altering the course of art for ever. * The embattled heroes - Caravaggio, Bernini, Rembrandt, David, Turner, Van Gogh, Picasso and Rothko - faced crisis with steadfast defiance. The masterpieces they created challenged convention, shattered complacency, shifted awareness and changed the way we look at the world. With powerfully vivid story-telling, Schama explores the dynamic personalities of the artists and the spirit of the times they lived through, capturing the flamboyant theatre of bourgeois life in Amsterdam, the passion and paranoia of Revolutionary Paris, and the carnage and pathos of civil-war Spain.* Most compelling of all, Power of Art traces the extraordinary evolution of eight world-class works of art. Created in a bolt of illumination, such works 'tell us something about how the world is, how it is to be inside our skins, that no more prosaic source of wisdom can deliver. And when they do that they answer, irrefutably and majestically, the nagging question of every reluctant art-conscript... "OK, OK, but what's art really for?"'

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'Told at a ferocious pace in staccato prose, this thriller truly gets the blood racing' Daily Mail on City of WindowsA series of deadly explosions rock the city of New York and with too many victims and no known motive, the F.B.I. turns once again to Dr. Lucas Page.On a beautiful October evening, New York City's iconic Guggenheim Museum is closed for a tech company's private gala. Until an explosion rocks the night, instantly killing 702 people, including every single attendee, yet the damage to the building itself was minimal.An explosion of that precision was no accident and, in response, the FBI mobilizes its entire team -- but the sheer number of victims strains their resources. Were all 702 victims in the wrong place at the wrong time, or was there only one target and 701 unlucky bystanders? That many victim files is a staggering amount of data to sort through and Brett Kehoe, Special Agent in Charge of Manhattan, decides that he can't do this without more computational power.Dr. Lucas Page, astrophysicist, university professor, and former FBI agent, is uniquely gifted for the task at hand. He can visualize a crime scene as if he was a bystander and can break down any set of data at a glance. Even though Page wants nothing to do with the FBI, with his city under attack and his family at risk, he steps in to find a killer in a haystack before they strike again.Praise for City of Windows:'I loved this' Lee Child'A page-turner painted in soaring prose' Gregg Hurwitz'It can only be a matter of time before Netflix makes Mr Pobi an offer he can't refuse, this is a series that has all the ingredients to run and run' Shots Magazine

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The third book in the gripping and heartwarming new Jubilee Lake series, from multi-million-copy bestselling author Anna JacobsLancashire, 1895. Abigail Dawson has lived in fear of her father for thirty years. But when, after uprooting them to a grand new home in Ollerthwaite, he's found murdered in the street, her life is turned upside down.Alone and caught in a web of her father's secrets, Abigail needs someone to rely on - so when hardworking handyman Rufus promises her a new life, she's thrilled at the chance to have a family of her own. But as they grow closer, could it be more than a marriage of convenience? Meanwhile, the rebuilding of the Ollerton estate is bringing new life to the valley - but old grudges, and new threats, are disturbing the peace. With plans for the Diamond Jubilee approaching, can the whole village band together to protect their home?Readers love Anna Jacobs!'Amazing' - 5 STARS'Thank you, Anna, for the pleasure you give in all your books' - 5 STARS'Another brilliant, hard-to-put-down book' - 5 STARS'Can't wait for the next instalment' - 5 STARS'A real page turner, I can't wait to read the next one' - 5 STARS'Another triumph for Anna Jacobs' - 5 STARS'BRILLIANT READ' - 5 STARSBook 1 in the Jubilee Lake Saga, SILVER WISHES, is out now in hardback, eBook and audio***Have you discovered all of Anna Jacobs' wonderful series?For a story of romance, drama and family ties on Daisy Street, try the BACKSHAW MOSS series:A VALLEY DREAMA VALLEY SECRETA VALLEY WEDDINGFor a heartwarming and emotional saga set in a Lancashire valley, try the BIRCH END series:A DAUGHTER'S JOURNEYA WIDOW'S COURAGEA WOMAN'S PROMISE

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'This classy, atmospheric thriller is always one step ahead' HeatA gripping psychological thriller for fans of The Couple Next Door, I Let You In and The Girl BeforeThere's a stranger living in Kimber Hannon's house. He tells the police that he has every right to be there, and he has the paperwork to prove it. But Kimber definitely didn't invite this man to move in. He tells her that he knows something about her, and he wants everyone else to know it too."I was there. I saw what you did."These words reveal a connection to Kimber's distant past, and dark secrets she'd long ago left buried. This trespasser isn't after anything as simple as her money or her home. He wants to move into her carefully orchestrated life - and destroy it.**************Readers are LOVING The Stranger Inside'I was captivated by it from the very first chapter''This is the definition of a page turner''Full of secrets, lies, twists and turns''Oh wow! What a rollercoaster of a book I didn't know what to expect next!''Gripping thriller that I just couldn't put down!!''Absolutely stunning book! One of my favourites of this year'**************Praise for The Stranger Inside'Absorbing, addictive and downright chilling' Alison Gaylin'Suspenseful and moving, The Stranger Inside gripped me from the first page' Meg Gardiner'[An] elegant scary mystery, where nothing is as it seems and one woman's truth is shattered by the hidden secrets of her past.' J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of Lie to Me'Compelling characters, lush settings, complex emotions-all in a clever plot and spiced with a hint of darkness' Carolyn Haines, bestselling author of The House of Memory

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'This classy, atmospheric thriller is always one step ahead' HeatA gripping psychological thriller for fans of The Couple Next Door, I Let You In and The Girl BeforeThere's a stranger living in Kimber Hannon's house. He tells the police that he has every right to be there, and he has the paperwork to prove it. But Kimber definitely didn't invite this man to move in. He tells her that he knows something about her, and he wants everyone else to know it too."I was there. I saw what you did."These words reveal a connection to Kimber's distant past, and dark secrets she'd long ago left buried. This trespasser isn't after anything as simple as her money or her home. He wants to move into her carefully orchestrated life - and destroy it.**************Readers are LOVING The Stranger Inside'I was captivated by it from the very first chapter''This is the definition of a page turner''Full of secrets, lies, twists and turns''Oh wow! What a rollercoaster of a book I didn't know what to expect next!''Gripping thriller that I just couldn't put down!!''Absolutely stunning book! One of my favourites of this year'**************Praise for The Stranger Inside'Absorbing, addictive and downright chilling' Alison Gaylin'Suspenseful and moving, The Stranger Inside gripped me from the first page' Meg Gardiner'[An] elegant scary mystery, where nothing is as it seems and one woman's truth is shattered by the hidden secrets of her past.' J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of Lie to Me'Compelling characters, lush settings, complex emotions-all in a clever plot and spiced with a hint of darkness' Carolyn Haines, bestselling author of The House of Memory

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Jersey, 1943. Once a warm and neighbourly community, now German soldiers patrol the cobbled streets, imposing a harsh rule on the people of the island. Grace La Mottée, the island's only librarian, is ordered to destroy books which threaten the new regime. Instead, she hides the stories away in secret. Along with her headstrong best friend, postwoman Bea Rose, she wants to fight back. So she forms the wartime book club: a lifeline, offering fearful islanders the joy and escapism of reading. But as the occupation drags on, the women's quiet acts of bravery become more perilous - and more important - than ever before. And, when tensions turn to violence, they are forced to face the true, terrible cost of resistance . . . Based on astonishing real events, The Wartime Book Club is a love letter to the power of books in the darkest of times - as well as a moving page-turner that brings to life the remarkable, untold story of an island at war.EVERYONE LOVES THE WARTIME BOOK CLUB:'Wish I could give it more stars' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'I was utterly enthralled . . . it reminds us how strong we can be in the face of adversity' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Tears, laughs and genuine love for all the characters in this book' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A heartwarming tale . . . shows against all odds and hardships people can survive' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Full of wonderful characters and their determination to get through the worst times' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐AND SO DO YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS...'One of the very best books I've read in a long time' PETER JAMES'Engaging' RACHEL HORE'Both heartwarming and heartbreaking' GILL PAUL'A poignant masterpiece' MADELINE MARTIN'A book to be savoured and remembered' GILL THOMPSON

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A riveting and all-action historical page-turner from bestselling author Douglas Jackson that will have you gripped from page one! Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow and Ben Kane.Readers are loving Gaius Valerius Verrens! "The best Roman historical series I've yet read. Just pips Ben Kane and Conn Iggulden." - 5 STARS "I found this one hard to put down as there was action and intrigue from start to finish" - 5 STARS"Fantastic story and character creation" - 5 STARS"A simple plot but pace never lets up and keeps you wanting to "just read the next chapter before I put it down" - 5 STARS*************************************77AD. Gaius Valerius Verrens is an honoured member of Emperor Vespasian's inner circle, but the enmity between him and Vespasian's son Domitian means that, even in Rome, danger is never far away.Meanwhile, in the outer reaches of the Empire, in Britannia, trouble is brewing.The governor, Agricola is preparing to march his legions north and Valerius is Agricola's chief legal adviser and deputy governor. It's the opportunity he seeks to move his wife and son out of reach of Domitian's wrath.The massacre of a Roman garrison and suspicious death throw Agricola's preparations into confusion. Now his eyes turn west to Mona and the Druids, who still harbour hopes of ridding Britannia of Roman rule. But to deal with them, Agricola needs a soldier he can trust to lead the legion. Only one man in the province has the experience and the ability . . .So a reluctant Valerius picks up his sword once more. He soon comes to understand that any glory his new legion wins is likely to be fleeting and tainted - and that he has placed his family in deadly peril.Gaius Valerius Verrens's adventures conclude in Hammer of Rome.

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A gripping, adrenalin-fuelled historical page-turner from bestselling author Douglas Jackson. Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow and Ben Kane.Readers are loving Gaius Valerius Verrens! "Once you have started you will want to read every volume in this exciting series [set] during one of the most turbulent times in Roman history" - 5 STARS "Douglas Jackson undoubtedly holds the crown as king of his genre" - 5 STARS"It is another tough book to put down" - 5 STARS"An entertaining and compelling read that makes you feel as if you were there!" - 5 STARS*****************************************LIVE BY THE SWORD. DIE BY THE SWORD.Summer, AD 69: Rome and its empire are in turmoil. The emperor Otho is dead by his own hand and his rival, Aulus Vitellius, occupies the imperial throne. However, a new challenge has arisen in the East - the legions of Titus Flavius Vespasian have declared him their Emperor.In the dry heat of an August morning, Gaius Valerius Verrens prepares for his last day on Earth. Wrongly accused of deserting his legion on the field of Bedriacum, it seems he is destined to die a coward's death. Then the executioner's hand is stayed. Vitellius' enemies will spare his life if he pledges allegiance to Vespasian. Valerius - tired of the endless slaughter - agrees. And so he must battle his way south to Rome in order to persuade his friend Vitellius to stand down for the greater good. But this is civil war and this is Rome, and Valerius - his loyalties divided and branded an enemy of the people - is trapped in a maze of distrust, corruption, betrayal and blood-letting . . .Gaius Valerius Verrens's adventures continue in Scourge of Rome.

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LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTIONSELECTED BY THE TELEGRAPH AS ONE OF THE FOUR BEST DEBUTS OF THE YEAR'A tense, yet tender portrait of a father and son trying to escape life on the margin. Determination and despair collide in this unforgettable debut, with an ending that broke my heart' Douglas Stuart, Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie BainEvicted from their trailer on New Year's Eve, Henry and his son, Junior, have been reduced to living out of a pick-up truck. Six months later, things are even more desperate. Henry, barely a year out of prison for selling drugs, is down to his last pocketful of cash, and little remains between him and the street. But hope is on the horizon: today is Junior's birthday, and Henry has a job interview tomorrow.To celebrate, Henry treats Junior to dinner at McDonald's, followed by a night in a real bed at a discount hotel. For a moment, as Junior watches TV and Henry practises for his interview in the bathtub, all seems well. But after Henry has a disastrous altercation in the parking lot and Junior succumbs to a fever, father and son are sent into the night, struggling to hold things together.Each chapter of this deeply emotional and compassionate novel begins with amount of money in Henry's pocket, showing how literally father and son's fortunes can turn on a dime. Can they make it through tomorrow?Praise for Abundance:'Full of beauty, honesty and unexpected grace.' Gary Shteyngart'A quest, a page-turner, and above all a love story, Abundance lays bare one father's brutal, tender hustle to care for his son in a winner-takes-all world.' Mia Alvar'Tender, anxious, angry, and beautiful.' Mark Doten

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'Prepare to be dazzled' Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger'Fresh and original' Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches Four lives, one woman, a star-crossed love . . .In 1895, sixteen-year-old Juliet begins a passionate, doomed romance with a married artist.In 1932, aspiring actress Nora escapes New York for the bright lights of Hollywood and a new chance at love.In 1970, Californian musician Sandra's secret love affair threatens to tear her band apart.And in 2012, Helen is starting to remember the tragic details of lives that never belonged to her.Bound to her lover in 1895, and trapped by his side ever since, Helen has lived through multiple lifetimes, under different names, never escaping her tragic endings. Only this time, she might finally have the power to break the cycle . . .Absorbing, magical and hard to put down, A Witch in Time is a heartbreakingly beautiful story about a death-defying love, a time trapping curse and the power of destiny. Perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and A Secret History of Witches.'[I] loved A Witch in Time by Constance Sayers! Perfect combo of historic locales (Paris to Los Angeles), artists (painters to 1970s rockers), and cool witchery to tie them together' Jay Asher, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author'A captivating tapestry of a tale' Gwendolyn Womack, bestselling author of The Fortune Teller'Sayers weaves a spell of love, lust and magic to create a page-turner like no other' Steph Post, author of Miraculum'Fans of Deborah Harkness will devour this page-turning tale of love, reincarnation, and dark magic. A highly unique and enjoyable read!' Hester Fox, author of The Witch of Willow Hall

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'Frances Brody has made it to the top rank of crime writers' Daily Mail'Brody's writing is like her central character Kate Shackleton: witty, acerbic and very, very perceptive' Ann Cleeves A lady with a secret Kate Shackleton's sterling reputation for courageous sleuthing attracts the attention of the venerable Lady Coulton. Hidden in her past is a daughter, born out of wedlock and given up to a different family. Now, Lady Coulton is determined to find her and puts Kate on the case. A mysterious killing in the library's basementBut as Kate delves deeper into Lady Coulton's past, she soon finds herself thrust into a scandal much closer to home. When the body of the respected Horatio Potter is found in the Leeds Library basement, the quiet literary community is suddenly turned upside down with suspicions, accusations and - much to Kate's surprise - the appearance of a particularly intelligent Capuchin monkey!The most puzzling case in Kate's sleuthing history yetConvinced an innocent man has been blamed, Kate sets out to discover the truth. Who would want Dr Potter dead? Does Lady Coulton's missing daughter hold a vital clue? As the stories start to emerge in the seemingly quiet Leeds Library, Kate is learning fast that in this case, she can't judge a book by its cover . . .What readers are saying about the Kate Shackleton mysteries:'Kate Shackleton is a splendid heroine' Ann Granger'Delightful' People's Friend'Frances Brody matches a heroine of free and independent spirit with a vivid evocation of time and place . . . a novel to cherish' Barry Turner, Daily Mail'Brody's excellent mystery splendidly captures the conflicts and attitudes of the time with well-developed characters' RT Book Reviews'Kate Shackleton joins Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs in a subgroup of young, female amateur detectives who survived and were matured by their wartime experiences' Literary Review

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A GRAZIA BOOK OF THE YEAR'A daring, compelling novel about motherhood' Cosmopolitan'Beautifully written' i Paper'Brilliantly explores the societal expectations put on women' Harper's Bazaar'Utterly compelling' Irish Independent'I devoured this book' Clover Stroud'A richly textured novel showing what it means to be a woman with multiple sides ... I was absolutely glued to it' Emma Gannon'Layered, rich and captures so much I can relate to. Bravo' Emma Barnett_____________________________________________________________________What if the thing you most wanted feels nothing like you expected?Stevie's life seems full: she has a successful career and a glamorous social life in New York. But what she wants most is a baby, an aspiration that feels impossible for a single woman in her late 30s.Determined to be a mother, Stevie returns home to London and has a baby on her own. Soon, though, she finds motherhood painfully at odds with her former life and wonders if she's made a terrible mistake.As she struggles with her new reality and what her future might hold, Stevie is forced to face difficult truths about her past and reconsider everything she believed about family and love.READERS LOVE THIS BOOK:'This is bound to be a book club favourite' Reader Review *****'I just couldn't get enough of this one and I hope it opens up so many conversations around ambition, motherhood, friendship and IVF' Reader Review *****'A super engrossing plot makes it a book for everyone, not just for mothers' Reader Review *****'Hush sucks you in and doesn't let you go. Honest, human, and compassionate.' Reader Review *****'Beautifully written and thought-provoking book that is also a total page turner' Reader Review *****'I wish I could give this more than 5 stars' Reader Review *****

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How do works from film and literature—Sister Carrie, Native Son, Meet Me in St. Louis, Halloween, and A History of Violence, for example—imagine, reify, and reproduce Midwestern identity? And what are the repercussions of such regional narratives and images circulating in American culture? In The American Midwest in Film and Literature: Nostalgia, Violence, and Regionalism, Adam R. Ochonicky provides a critical overview of the evolution, contestation, and fragmentation of the Midwest's symbolic and often contradictory meanings. Using the frontier writings of Frederick Jackson Turner as a starting point, this book establishes a succession of Midwestern filmic and literary texts stretching from the late-19th century through the beginning of the 21st century and argues that the manifold properties of nostalgia have continually transformed popular understandings and ideological uses of the Midwest's place-identity. Ochonicky identifies three primary modes of nostalgia at play across a set of textual objects: the projection of nostalgia onto physical landscapes and into the cultural sphere (nostalgic spatiality); nostalgia as a cultural force that regulates behaviors, identities, and appearances (nostalgic violence); and the progressive potential of nostalgia to generate an acknowledgment and possible rectification of ways in which the flawed past negatively affects the present (nostalgic atonement). While developing these new conceptions of nostalgia, Ochonicky reveals how an under-examined area of regional study has received critical attention throughout the histories of American film and literature, as well as in related materials and discourses. From the closing of the Western frontier to the polarized political and cultural climate of the 21st century, this book demonstrates how film and literature have been and continue to be vital forums for illuminating the complex interplay of regionalism and nostalgia.

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A GUARDIAN, NEW STATESMAN AND SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A whodunnit political page-turner' Melissa Benn, New Statesman 'The best political book I have read for a long while' Rod Liddle, The Spectator From the No.1 bestselling author of The Establishment, an urgent analysis of where the Left - and Britain - goes nextWe live in an age of upheaval. The global crisis of Covid-19 has laid bare the deep social and economic inequalities which were the toxic legacy of austerity. These revolutionary times are an opportunity for a radical rethink of Britain as we know it, as the politically impossible suddenly becomes imaginable. And yet, the Left's last attempt to upend the established order and transform millions of lives came to a crashing halt on 12th December 2019, when Jeremy Corbyn led the Labour party to its worst electoral defeat since 1935. In This Land, Owen Jones provides an insider's honest and unflinching appraisal of a movement: how it promised to change everything, why it went so badly wrong, where this failure leaves its values and ideas, and where the Left goes next in the new world we find ourselves in.He takes us on a compelling, page-turning journey through a tumultuous decade in British politics, gaining unprecedented access to key figures across the political spectrum. It is a tale of high hopes and hubris, dysfunction and disillusionment. There is, Jones urges, no future for any progressive project that does not face up to and learn from its errors. We have the opportunity to build a fairer country and a more equal world, but if our time is to come, then we must learn from our past.'An absorbing, nuanced account of the making of electoral disaster' Gaby Hinsliff, Guardian

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Let international bestselling author Colleen McCullough sweep you away with this enthralling, evocative and emotional saga of one woman's quest to come to terms with a new life. If you like Victoria Hislop, Lucinda Riley and Fiona Valpy, you'll love this!'Fast-moving and immensely readable... Back to the open spaces, merciless climate and sheer pioneering stance of the magical THE THORN BIRDS, this book is a page turner from start to finish' -- Maeve Binchy'A compelling, passionate and gritty saga that was well worth the wait' -- She'A powerful saga' -- Mirror'Absorbing' -- Sunday Telegraph'I could put this book down. I was consumed with it' -- ***** Reader review'This book is utterly compelling and quite simply, I loved it. I wanted to finish it, but, didn't want it to end. Beautifully written, descriptive passages. A truly Master author. Thank you' -- ***** Reader review'One of the best reads I've had in years' -- ***** Reader review'Thoroughly loved this book, I was hooked from the first page!' -- ***** Reader review**********************************************************************Alexander Kinross is remembered in his native Scotland only as a shiftless boilermaker's apprentice. But when he writes from Australia to summon his bride, his relatives realize he is now a man to be reckoned with.Arriving in Sydney after a difficult voyage, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Drummond meets her husband-to-be and discovers that he frightens and repels her.Isolated in Alexander's great house, Elizabeth finds that marriage does not prompt her husband to enlighten her about his past life - nor his present one, in which his mistress, the sensuous, tough, outspoken Ruby Costevan, still plays a part...Will she be able to forge a happy new life in this new world?

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'An ambitious, cinematic thriller' Observer'A talented storyteller' The Times'A cinematic epic' Daily MailWhat if the only hope for survival becomes the greatest threat? From the brilliant, bestselling author of Child 44 comes a suspenseful and fast-paced novel about a colony of global apocalypse survivors seeking to reinvent civilisation under the most extreme conditions imaginable. The world has fallen. Without warning, a mysterious and omnipotent force has claimed the planet for their own. There are no negotiations, no demands, no reasons given for their actions. All they have is a message: humanity has thirty days to reach the one place on Earth where they will be allowed to exist… Antarctica.Cold People follows the journeys of a handful of those who endure the frantic exodus to the most extreme environment on the planet. But their goal is not merely to survive the present. Because as they cling to life on the ice, the remnants of their past swept away, they must also confront the urgent challenge: can they change and evolve rapidly enough to ensure humanity’s future? Can they build a new society in the sub-zero cold?Original and imaginative, as profoundly intimate as it is grand in scope, Cold People is a masterful and unforgettable epic.Praise for Tom Rob Smith ‘A remarkable achievement’ Jeffery Deaver‘Amazing’ Lee Child‘Chilling, hypnotic and thoroughly compelling’ Mark Billingham‘Truly original and chilling’ Jojo Moyes‘Tom Rob Smith’s mastery of suspense will make any reader’s heart pound’ Financial Times‘A thrilling, intense piece of fiction’ Observer‘Ingeniously plotted... a high voltage story’ New York Times‘Perfectly plotted, utterly terrifying’ Daily Mail‘A mind-blowing, addictive plot that will have you on the edge of your seat’ Stylist‘A powerful page-turner’ GQ‘Taut and atmospheric’ Irish Independent‘Masterly... read this and shiver’ Telegraph

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A suspenseful, gripping novel about families and friendships torn apart at the seams by obsession, secrets, and betrayal with relentless twists and turns that hurtle forward to a shocking confrontation.When Ruth, a wealthy divorcé​e, offers to host the Hillside Academy kindergarten meet-and-greet, she hopes this will be a fresh start for her and her introverted daughter, Marley. Finally, they’ll be accepted into a tribe. Marley will make friends and Ruth will be welcomed by the mothers. Instead, the parents are turned off by Ruth’s ostentatious wealth and before kindergarten even begins, Ruth and Marley are outcasts. The last guest to arrive at the meet-and-greet is Gemma, a widow and a single mother to her daughter, Bee. Ruth sets her sights on the mother-daughter duo, and soon the two families are inseparable. Ruth takes Gemma and Bee on Aspen vacations, offers VIP passes to Cirque du Soleil, and pays for dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants. For Gemma, who lives paycheck to paycheck, Ruth’s largesse is seductive, but as the years go by, she can’t shake the feeling that she’s accruing an increasingly unpayable debt. When Ruth’s affair with a married Hillside dad is exposed, and she’s publicly shunned, Gemma uses it to sever ties with Ruth. Six years later, when Gemma finds herself embroiled in a scandal of her own—Ruth comes to her defense. Their renewed friendship rehabilitates their reputations, but once again, Gemma starts to feel trapped as Ruth grows more and more obsessed with their relationship. A relentless page-turner, Did I Say You Could Go is the story of friendships steeped in lies and duplicity. It’s about two families who, when pushed to extremes, cross the line with devastating results.

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'Tender, warm-hearted and wise.' Toni Jordan 'Each of the women in this novel feels like she could be a friend.' Sophie GreenAn unexpected death finds Lizzie, Alice and Margot at various crossroads in their lives, torn between looking back and moving on.Lizzie is reeling from her discovery of a decades-old secret that changes everything she thought she knew about her friends, her family and her marriage. Alice has always been the good-time girl, as charismatic presenting the weather on television as she is working as a life model. But decades of piecemeal gigs have left her with a rapidly unravelling safety net. Meanwhile, Lizzie's perfectionist daughter Margot is realising that, despite having built herself a faultlessly curated life, she hasn't put her troubled past behind her as neatly as she thought she had.Whenever You're Ready is a sweetly wise and gently wistful novel about the secrets and seasons of three intertwined lives. 'Bolton is a natural-born storyteller and her debut novel is a gift to us all.' Lee Kofman 'Social commentary shot through with wicked humour. I loved it.' Lucy Treloar'Engaging, moving and full of heart.' Suzanne Leal 'Trish Bolton renders visible the complex lives of older women who are so often invisible in our culture. A page-turner of a novel.' Sian Prior'The grief in Bolton's novel is weighty and pervasive, but her tone is light and matter-of-fact; it's as if Sally Hepworth wrote Jennifer Down's Bodies of Light. Bolton has written through the "not knowing what to say" of grief. This book will also appeal to fans of Gail Honeyman with her rendering of retired, but not retiring, women.'Books + Publishing

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Fans of HBO’s Succession and Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl will love this “clever thriller” (Publisher’s Weekly).“Dani Lamia explores the dark side of the human experiment in this fast-paced page-turner with an ending that I never saw coming. Worth reading!” —D.R. Rosentsteel, Amazon reviewer Winning the game could change your life. But losing the game could end it.Caitlin Nylo gave up everything to turn her father’s game company into a worldwide success. Along the way, she lost her mother, her marriage, and she barely sees her children. She’s rich, driven, and brilliant. But she’s also alone.After her eccentric father passes away, Caitlin is furious when she learns that instead of leaving the company and its fortunes to her, he has chosen to make his heirs compete in one last game: a scavenger hunt with a multi-billion dollar inheritance waiting at the end.But old secrets and sibling rivalry soon take a dark turn, as Caitlin and the others confront the demons of their past in their search for clues. And when a live video reveals the brutal murder of her greedy brother, the surviving heirs discover the terrifying truth.Someone else is playing the game with them. Someone who will do anything to protect one final secret. What began as a scavenger hunt has been twisted into a maniacal deathtrap, from which there is no escape.And when the game is over, only one of them will remain alive.“A very contemporary twist on Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None.’” —Pradapoet, Amazon reviewer“This punchy and often witty novel will appeal to the game-player in everyone.” —Publishers Weekly“And the end game contains twist after twist that will leave you reeling – and so happy not to be a Nylo!” —Shari Held, Amazon reviewerFor more from Dani Lamia, check out 666 Gable Way.

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“In a time when religious liberty is on trial, This Is How It Begins is an extraordinarily pertinent novel dripping in suspense and powerful scenes of political discourse . . . a must read . . .” —Foreword (starred review)“Beautifully written . . . an ambitious and moving debut novel.” —Lily King, the New York Times best-selling author of Writers & LoversA woman bearing a thorny secret. A man fighting for religious freedom. A battle neither saw coming.Massachusetts, 2009. Ludka Zeilonka is relishing her emeritus status. With the horrors of World War II willfully buried in her past, the eighty-five year-old art professor doesn’t want to accept that there’s escalating cultural unrest in her adoptive country. But when her gay grandson is fired for allegedly silencing Christian kids in his classroom, she and her influential family are thrust into the center of a political firestorm.Warren Meck is worried about his sons. Leading a statewide effort to protect free speech in public schools for Christian kids, the popular radio host is on the cusp of taking his fight to the State House. But when his carefully orchestrated campaign turns unexpectedly violent, he’s alarmed by suspicions that someone within his inner circle might be responsible. As the increasingly vicious conflict plays out on the public stage, Ludka wrestles with resurfacing memories . . . and the exposure of a well-guarded secret. And when Meck identifies the culprit behind the violence, he faces an unbearable choice that could jeopardize his family's future. Can these two come to grips with unwelcome truths in time to make a stand in the final political showdown? This Is How It Begins is an emotionally gripping literary novel. If you like even-handed stories about hot-button social issues, rich character development, and thought-provoking narratives, then you'll love Joan Dempsey's captivating page-turner.

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Winner of the 2020 Zócalo Public Square Book PrizeA rich, multigenerational saga of race and family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, that tells the story of how Jim Crow was built, how it changed, and how the most powerful social movement in American history came together to tear it down.If you really want to understand Jim Crow—what it was and how African Americans rose up to defeat it—you should start by visiting Mobile Street in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, the heart of the historic black downtown. There you can see remnants of the shops and churches where, amid the violence and humiliation of segregation, men and women gathered to build a remarkable community. William Sturkey introduces us to both old-timers and newcomers who arrived in search of economic opportunities promised by the railroads, sawmills, and factories of the New South. He also takes us across town and inside the homes of white Hattiesburgers to show how their lives were shaped by the changing fortunes of the Jim Crow South.Sturkey reveals the stories behind those who struggled to uphold their southern “way of life” and those who fought to tear it down—from William Faulkner’s great-grandfather, a Confederate veteran who was the inspiration for the enigmatic character John Sartoris, to black leader Vernon Dahmer, whose killers were the first white men ever convicted of murdering a civil rights activist in Mississippi. Through it all, Hattiesburg traces the story of the Smith family across multiple generations, from Turner and Mamie Smith, who fled a life of sharecropping to find opportunity in town, to Hammond and Charles Smith, in whose family pharmacy Medgar Evers and his colleagues planned their strategy to give blacks the vote.

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Magic and magical creatures. Immortal gods and goddesses. History and mythology. Strap in for this action-packed YA novel that that takes place over the days leading up to World War II, when Ziva must rely on her wit and magic to outmaneuver Nazis and ancient Egyptian gods to prevent global destruction.Ziva has one memory of her parents, made the day they abandoned her on the streets of New York City when she was three years old. They left her with only a memory and a promise that she had a great and terrible destiny.Fifteen years later, Ziva discovers that destiny includes powers that she doesn’t understand and can barely control. Her magic attracts vicious, otherworldly monsters, and eventually compatriots to help her fight them. Sayer and Nasira know the secrets Ziva doesn’t; that Ziva is descended from Egyptian royalty and in possession of ancient magic passed down from the time of the gods. They promise to teach Ziva to control her magic and to give her the family she’s always yearned for.But trouble is brewing in the world around them; darkness is descending on Hitler’s Germany, threatening World War II. As the last heir of a revered Egyptian queen, Ziva is the only one with the power to prevent another costly global conflict. As Ziva navigates her newfound abilities and makes a connection with Anubis and other Egyptian gods, the Nazis are hunting for the ultimate weapon, and Ziva has caught their interest.Wardens of Eternity Is written by Courtney Moulton, author of the acclaimed Angelfire series Is an action-packed page-turner that blends history, mythology, and magic Is a clean teen historical fantasy; perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Kiersten White

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