Search results for ""author jack"

'A full throttle, adrenaline-laced espionage page-turner . . . Get ready to blast off and enjoy the ride!' Jack Carr, former Navy SEAL Sniper and #1 New York Times bestselling author of the James Reece Terminal List series'Continuous action, Mach-speed mayhem, sharp intrigue, and well-rounded characters - what more could you want from a thriller?' Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The 9th Man and the Cotton Malone seriesIsrael, late 1973. As the Yom Kippur War flares into life, a state-of-the-art Soviet MIG fighter is racing at breakneck speed over the arid scrublands below . . . and promptly disappears.NASA Flight Controller and former US Navy test pilot Kaz Zemeckis watches the scene from the ground - and is quickly pulled into a dizzying, high-stakes game of spies, lies and a possible high-level defection that plays out across three continents. The prize is beyond value: the secrets of the Soviets' mythical 'Foxbat' MiG-25, the fastest, highest-flying fighter plane in the world and the key to Cold War air supremacy. But every defection is double-edged with risk, and Kaz must tread a careful line between trust and suspicion. Ultimately, he must invite the fox into the henhouse - bringing the defector into the heart of the United States' most secret test site - and hope that, with skill and cunning, the game plays out his way. For Chris Hadfield's second heart-stopping thriller, we move from Space to another rich and exciting part of Chris's CV: his time as a top test pilot in both the US Air Force and the US Navy, and as an RCAF fighter pilot intercepting armed Soviet bombers in North American airspace. Full of insider detail, excitement and political intrigue drawn from real events, The Defector brings us the nerve-shredding rush of aerial combat, as told by one of the world's best fighter pilots.Praise for The Apollo Murders'A nail-biting Cold War thriller' James Cameron'An exciting journey to an alternate past' Andy Weir 'Not to be missed' Frederick Forsyth 'Explosive' Gregg Hurwitz 'Exciting, authentic' Linwood Barclay

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THE TIMES THRILLER OF THE MONTH‘Strange alliances, personal vendettas and Cold War conspiracies build to a bloody climax in the snow’ - The Times Thriller of the Month‘This is a proper page-turning high-stakes thriller’ Crime TimeFrom the award-winning author of Moskva and Nightfall Berlin, a gripping suspense-filled thriller in the frozen North . . .Kola Peninsula, 1987. High in the Soviet Arctic, a tiny village houses an apocalyptic secret . . .When research zoologist Dr Amelia Blackburn ventures north to investigate the ravages of the Chernobyl reactor meltdown, she stumbles on the evidence of another sinister disaster on the Norway-Russia border - one that appears far from innocent. Mother Russia will stop at nothing to prevent this information from being revealed, putting Amelia and her team in grave danger from the moment they leave the site.When the news reaches London, the eyes of British intelligence turn to the one man with the knowledge and skills to bring her back to safety - and find out what has really happened in the frozen North.Major Tom Fox thought he'd put his intelligence career behind him, but wrapped in a custody battle for his young son, Charlie, a request from his high-ranking father-in-law forces his hand. When the reluctant spy reaches Russia, it quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary mission.As Fox and Amelia fight for their lives - and their country - in Russia, Charlie is lead into dangers of his own in England. Three lives are about to be embroiled in the darkest secrets of the Cold War conflict - and a plot that, if left unchecked, will echo through history . . .Praise for Jack Grimwood'If you're missing the Cold War thrillers of le Carré, Jack Grimwood will fill the space in your heart with a thrilling splinter of ice' Val McDermid'Cold War thrillers - so atmospheric, SO SO GOOD, I recommend EXTREMELY highly' - Marian Keyes'The new le Carré . . . an absolutely brilliant page-turner . . . if you love thrillers, Jack Grimwood is a name you need to remember' BBC Radio 2 The Sara Cox Show'For those who enjoy vintage le Carré' Ian Rankin'Mesmerising . . . something special in the arena of international thrillers' Financial Times'Your new favourite thriller writer' Independent'Top-notch ... the suspense never wavers' Crimetime'The rejuvenation of the espionage thriller continues apace' Guardian

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Almost before the gunsmoke from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre cleared, Chicago police had a suspect: Jack McGurn. They just couldn’t find him. McGurn, whose real name was Vincent Gebardi, was Al Capone’s chief assassin, a baby-faced Sicilian immigrant and professional killer of professional killers. But two weeks after the murders, police found McGurn and his paramour, Louise May Rolfe, holed up downtown at the Stevens Hotel. Both claimed they were in bed on the morning of the famous shootings, a titillating alibi that grabbed the public’s attention and never let go.Deadly Valentines tells one of the most outrageous stories of the 1920s, a twin biography of a couple who defined the extremes and excesses of the Prohibition era in America. McGurn was a prizefighter and the ultimate urban predator and hit man who put the iron in Al Capone’s muscle. Rolfe, a beautiful blonde dancer and libertine, was the epitome of fashion, rebellion, and wild abandon in the new jazz subculture. They were the prototypes for decades of gangster literature and cinema, representing a time that has never lost its allure.

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'Stuart Neville writes crime fiction that is edgy, compelling and always deeply humane' MARK BILLINGHAMBringing together thirteen gripping and unsettling tales from one of Northern Ireland's bestselling crime authors, The Traveller & Other Stories is the perfect introduction to a modern master of thriller writing, featuring a Foreword by John ConnollyStuart Neville is a writer known for shining an unflinching light on his home country and its people. Ireland - north and south - in Neville's hands, is a land haunted by ghosts, both real and imagined. This collection is divided into two parts: New Monsters and Old Friends. And many of the characters from Stuart's novels, like Gerry Fegan from The Twelve, can be found haunting these pages. Childhood, innocence, guilt and redemption are all themes that are represented in Stuart's novels and in this collection, as John Connolly puts in his Foreword, 'here are monsters, both human and non-human. Here are hauntings, real or imagined. Here are old friends and older fiends.'Stuart's pleasure in the short story is evidenced in these tales, culminating in the previously unpublished novella, 'The Traveller', which sees Jack Lennon (from The Final Silence) and his daughter Ellen McKenna, pitted against the unnamed assassin who is targeting them. This is a collection of stories covering a decade of the author's writings and, as Connolly says, is 'the work of a prodigiously talented writer'.This is Irish noir at its best.'Not to be missed' Publishers Weekly, starred review'In the world of modern crime fiction, Stuart Neville is a supernova' Dennis Lehane'Irish noir done to a turn, with just enough tearful sentiment to turn the screws tighter' Kirkus review

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'Action-packed and razor sharp' LEE CHILD This SUNDAY TIMES CRIME CLUB STAR PICK is for fans of gritty, darkly funny thrillers like Killing Eve and anyone who loves Kimberley Chambers, Jessie Keane, Marnie Riches, Emma Tallon or Kerry Barnes. *Bookseller by day. Bad ass by night. Nikki Griffin owns a bookshop in California that has a resident cat, Bartleby. She drinks neat Jameson and rides an Aprilia motorcycle. She’s a Private Investigator who spends her days talking about books and her nights fighting for women – and she could beat you in a fight, blindfolded.Nikki is the hero you’ve been waiting for. When she's hired to tail a woman accused of selling company secrets by the CEO, she thinks it will be just another job. By the time she realises that something is off, it’s already too late – a body has been found. Suddenly, Nikki is pulled into a race to find answers before somebody finds her.The bad guys may have started this – but Nikki is going to finish it. *** Praise for SAVE ME FROM DANGEROUS MEN *** 'When she's not advising customers on reading choices in her secondhand bookshop in un-gentrified Oakland, California, Nikki enjoys issuing righteous street justice, whether it be nailing a cheating husband bang to rights or persuading an abusive boyfriend to back off — and boy, is she persuasive. Hired to investigate an employee suspected of selling a firm's tech secrets, she gets drawn into a deeper mystery and even deeper danger. Lucky for her, and us, she's smart as paint and brave as a lioness' Sunday Times Crime Club (starred review) 'Pulses with daring and risk. Nikki Griffin, bookseller by day and private investigator by night, takes on men who hurt women and makes them sorry. Calm, complex, lethal, and fascinating, she’s the revenge fantasy you want right now' Taylor Stevens, New York Times bestselling author of Liars’ Paradox and The Informationist 'Action-packed and razor sharp - Jack Reacher would love Nikki Griffin' Lee Child 'Save Me from Dangerous Men is one of those rare thrillers that draws you in so relentlessly that you find yourself getting kicked out of bed and reading all night on the sofa. If you’re a fan of Jack Reacher or Lisbeth Salander, you are gonna love Nikki Griffin. This is an outstanding debut novel to what promises to be an exceptional series. Highly, highly recommended' Douglas Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of the acclaimed Pendergast series 'Lelchuk has created a fabulously compelling central protagonist in Nikki Griffin, a psychologically disturbed woman with her heart in the right place' 'One of my most favourite things about this novel is the literary allusions and references littered throughout the narrative' 'Wonderfully entertaining'

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'Roald Dahl by way of Charles Dickens' - Vox.com 'Dark and wildly original urban fantasy tale' - The New York Times'Delightful, eccentric, heartfelt, surprising, philosophical, everything that a novel for children should be' - Eleanor Catton, winner of the Man Booker Prize 2013'A rare work of individual brilliance' - Inis magazineThe Iremongers have taken up what was not wanted and wanted it.Clod is an Iremonger. He lives in the Heaps, a vast sea of lost and discarded items collected from all over London. At the centre is Heap House, a puzzle of houses, castles, homes and mysteries reclaimed from the city and built into a living maze of staircases and scurrying rats. The Iremongers are a mean and cruel family, robust and hardworking, but Clod has an illness. He can hear the objects whispering. His birth object, a universal bath plug, says 'James Henry', Cousin Tummis's tap is squeaking 'Hilary Evelyn Ward-Jackson' and something in the attic is shouting 'Robert Burrington' and it sounds angry.A storm is brewing over Heap House. The Iremongers are growing restless and the whispers are getting louder. When Clod meets Lucy Pennant, a girl newly arrived from the city, everything changes. The secrets that bind Heap House together begin to unravel to reveal a dark truth that threatens to destroy Clod's world.

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'Shiveringly good suspense!' Lisa GardnerTHE BRAND NEW NOVEL FROM 30 MILLION COPY SELLING AUTHORThe Cahill family are famous for two things: their wealth, and the scandals that surround them.James Cahill has always tried to make his own way in the world, though he has enjoyed the many women taken in by the easy charms of a handsome, soon-to-be-rich bad boy.Waking up in hospital, bandaged and bruised, James barely recognises the gorgeous blonde at his bedside; Sophia, his mistress. As James' memories gradually return, pieces of a terrifying puzzle begin to slot into place. His girlfriend, Megan, had found out about his affair. Megan is missing. His family is hounding him. The police are asking him questions. James insists he has no idea what happened to Megan. But the betrayal you can't remember may be worse than you can imagine . . .A fast-paced psychological thriller for fans of Martina Cole, Lisa Gardner and Karen Rose, with Lisa Jackson's trademark mix of dark secrets and stunning twists.'Shiveringly good suspense!' Lisa Gardner'One of the best' Harlan Coben

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Who are you at 16, if you can't remember anything about your life since you were 12? A brilliant exploration of identity and love for YA readers, by the bestselling author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. After an accident that leaves her with partial amnesia, Naomi tries to piece together the fragments of the last three-and-a-half years of her life. She discovers that she has a tennis-champion boyfriend but can't remember him, is co-editor of the yearbook with a quirky guy who wears a smoking jacket, her parents are divorced, and she apparently hates her mother. She has friends who simply don't seem that attractive any more and, despite having meticulously kept a diary during the now-lost years, she only wrote about what she ate every day in it! But when a girl loses three-and-a-half years, she gets a chance to reinvent herself. After all, who is to say that everything has to stay the same? 'Essentially a love story, it is also an exploration of teenage identity, handled with such a skilful blend of wit, intelligence and tenderness that readers will lose themselves in the story and find themselves in the process.' Daily Telegraph

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The incredible Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller from the million-copy bestselling author of the phenomenon and­ 80-week Sunday Times bestselling The Salt Path'Beautiful, a thrill to read . . . you feel the world is a better place because Raynor and Moth are in it' The Times'Winn's writing transforms her surroundings and her spirits, her joy coming across clearly in her shimmering prose' i 'A beautiful, luminous and magical piece of writing' Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry _______ 'It was the land, the earth, the deep humming background to my very being' In 2016, days before they were unjustly evicted from their home, Raynor Winn was told her husband Moth was dying.Instead of giving up they embarked on a life-changing journey: walking the 630-mile South West Coast Path, living by their wits, determination and love of nature.But all journeys must end and when the couple return to civilisation they find that four walls feel like a prison, cutting them off from the sea and sky that sustained them - that had saved Moth's life.So when the chance to rewild an old Cornish farm comes their way, they grasp it, hoping they'll not only reconnect with the natural world but also find themselves once again on its healing path . . ._______'Confirms Raynor as a natural and extremely talented writer with an incredible way with words. This book gives us all what we wanted to know at the end of The Salt Path which is what happened next. So moving, it made me cry . . . repeatedly' Sophie Raworth, BBC'Brilliant, powerful and touching . . . will connect with anyone who has triumphed over adversity' Stephen Moss, author and naturalist'Unflinching . . . There is a luminous conviction to the prose' Observer'Notions of home are poignantly explored . . . wonderful' GuardianLONGLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2021**Nominated for the Holyer an Gof Memoir Award** Praise for The Salt Path 'An astonishing narrative of two people dragging themselves from the depths of despair along some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country, looking for a solution to their problems and ultimately finding themselves' Independent 'This is what you need right now to muster hope and resilience . . . a beautiful story and a reminder that humans can endure adversity' Stylist 'The landscape is magical: shapeshifting seas and smugglers' coves; myriads of sea birds and mauve skies. Raynor writes exquisitely . . . it's a tale of triumph; of hope over despair, of love over everything' The Sunday Times 'The Salt Path is a life-affirming tale of enduring love that smells of the sea and tastes of a rich life. With beautiful, immersive writing, it is a story heart-achingly and beautifully told' Jackie Morris, illustrator of The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane

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After the Glorious Revolution, a not so glorious age of lawlessness befell England. Crime ran rampant, and highwaymen, thieves, and prostitutes ruled the land. Execution by hanging often punished the smallest infractions, and rip-roaring stories of fearless criminals proliferated, giving birth to a new medium: the newspaper. In 1724, housebreaker Jack Sheppard—a "pocket Hercules," his small frame packed with muscle—finally met the hangman. Street singers sang ballads about the Cockney burglar because no prison could hold him. Each more astonishing than the last, his final jailbreak took him through six successive locked rooms, after which he shimmied down two blankets from the prison roof to the street below. Just before Sheppard swung, he gave an account of his life to a writer in the crowd. Daniel Defoe stood in the shadow of the day's literati—Swift, Pope, Gay—and had done hard time himself for sedition and bankruptcy. He saw how prison corrupted the poor. They came out thieves, but he came out a journalist. Six months later, the author of Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders covered another death at the hanging tree. Jonathan Wild looked every bit the brute—body covered in scars from dagger, sword, and gun, bald head patched with silver plates from a fractured skull—and he had all but invented the double-cross. He cultivated young thieves, profited from their work, then turned them in for his reward—and their execution. But one man refused to play his game. Sheppard didn't take orders from this self-proclaimed "thief-taker general," nor would he hawk his loot through Wild's fences. The two-faced bounty hunter took it personally and helped bring the young burglar's life to an end. But when Wild's charade came to light, he quickly became the most despised man in the land. When he was hanged for his own crimes, the mob wasn't rooting for Wild as it had for Sheppard. Instead, they hurled stones, rotten food, and even dead animals at him. Defoe once again got the scoop, and tabloid journalism as we know it had begun.

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'The master of razor-sharp one liners. An absolute belter' - MANDASUE HELLER 'Brilliant. This is British crime writing at its best' - MARK EDWARDS 'May be his best yet' - WILL CARVER MY DAD SAYS BAD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN I BREAK IT... Daniel is looking forward to his birthday. He wants pie and chips, a big chocolate cake, and a comic book starring his favourite superhero. And as long as he follows The Rule, nothing bad will happen. But Daniel has no idea that he's about to kill a stranger. Daniel's parents know that their beloved and vulnerable son will be taken away. But Daniel didn't mean to hurt anyone, he just doesn't know his own strength. They dispose of the body. Isn't that what any loving parent would do? But as forces on both sides of the law begin to close in on them, they realise they have no option but to finish what they started. Even if it means that others will have to die... Because they'll do anything to protect Daniel. Even murder. 'Excellent as always. Grimy and heartbreaking in equal measure' - WILL CARVER 'A pacy, smart and darkly funny heartbreaker of a crime novel' - SUSI HOLLIDAY 'A stupendous piece of literary engineering' - JENNY O'BRIEN 'An intense and compelling read. Highly recommended' - LISA HALL 'David Jackson has done it again. The Rule is incredible' - NOELLE HOLTEN

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Jack Murad Sasson, distinguished scholar of the ancient Near East, has enjoyed a long career studying the cultures, languages, and literatures of that consequential region. His many books and articles span a seemingly endless array of topics and materials. Foremost are his in-depth analyses of the Syrian city of Mari and its remarkable heritage. Of comparable importance are his definitive studies of the Hebrew Bible, in particular his commentaries on the books of Judges, Ruth, and Jonah. In addition, the encyclopedic four-volume set he initiated and edited, Civilizations of the Ancient Near East, stands out as an exceptional contribution to peers, students, and the general public.To honor him and his scholarly achievements, thirty-five of his longtime colleagues and friends have collaborated to produce this volume of essays on such diverse cultures as Sumer, Babylonia, Assyria, the Amorites, Egypt, Ebla, the Hurrians, the Hittites, Ugarit, the Arameans, Canaan, and Israel. The studies in this volume display the richness of these cultures—their literary legacies, languages, political and social histories, material remains, religions and rituals, and history of ideas—as well as their reception in modern times. The volume is both a contribution to the evolving study of the ancient Near East and also a fitting tribute to Jack Sasson, whose friendship and scholarship we have long cherished and esteemed.

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The end of a scourge "The prayer that has been mine for twenty years, that I might be permitted in some way or some time to do something to alleviate human suffering, has been answered!" --Major Walter Reed, writing to his wife, New Year's Eve, 1900 As he wrote to his wife of his stunning success in the mission to identify the cause of yellow fever and find a way to eradicate the disease, Walter Reed had answered the prayers of millions. For more than 250 years, the yellow jack had ravaged the Americas, bringing death to millions and striking panic in entire populations. The very mention of its presence in a city or town produced instant chaos as thousands fled in terror, leaving the frail, the weak, and the ill to fend for themselves. Yellow Jack tracks the history of this deadly scourge from its earliest appearance in the Caribbean 350 years ago, telling the compelling story of a few extraordinarily brave souls who struggled to understand and eradicate yellow fever. Risking everything for the cause of science and humanity, Reed and his teammates on the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Board invaded the heart of enemy territory in Cuba to pursue the disease--and made one of the twentieth century's greatest medical discoveries. This thrilling adventure tells the timeless tale of their courage, ingenuity, and triumph in the face of adversity.

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Engaging fiction and non-fiction fully aligned to each week of Essential Letters and Sounds, allowing children to consolidate their phonic knowledge through reading in context. These fully decodable readers are 100% matched to the phonic progression of Essential Letters and Sounds. Essential Letters and Sounds is a systematic synthetic phonics programme validated by the Department for Education. These readers complement your existing decodable readers from Oxford University Press and can be used alongside them to support the teaching of Essential Letters and Sounds. Jack and the Jellybeans allows children to apply their phonics learning from Year 1, Summer 1, Week 1 of Essential Letters and Sounds.

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There is a myth: that travel and exploration are the privileged pastimes of youth. Adventure has an age restriction, and the extraordinary an expiry date. Vicky Jack’s inspiring tale of courage, perseverance and strong-headedness reveals the falsity behind this myth as she becomes the oldest British woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. The Sky’s the Limit is the account of Vicky’s journey from the Munros of her native Scotland to the summit of the world’s highest peak. Her pilgrimage is full of trials as she battles through Antarctic storms, falls off Mt McKinley in Alaska, is shot at in Indonesia, and runs out of oxygen on Mt Everest; yet Vicky’s characteristic determination is never diluted as she strives towards her goal. Anna Magnusson brilliantly captures Vicky’s sense of ambition, faithfully retelling this tale of inspiration, challenge and success. This story is both a reminder to all that it is never too late to chase a childhood ambition, and an encouragement to never give up on your dreams – no matter how out of reach they may seem.

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The brand-new psychological suspense novel from the author of After She's Gone, soon to be a major motion picture starring Daisy Ridley.'DAZZLING ORIGINALITY' SUNDAY TIMES'THE VERY TOP TIER OF SCANDINAVIAN CRIME FICTION' ANDERS DE LA MOTTE, AUTHOR OF RITES OF SPRINGAfter eighteen-year-old Samuel finds himself in the middle of a drug deal gone wrong, he is forced to leave home in a hurry. Heading south, he finds refuge in a sleepy coastal town, working as a live-in assistant to the son of a wealthy family.When the body of a young man washes up in Stockholm's southern archipelago, investigator Manfred Olsson is called in to work the case. With his two-year-old daughter in a coma, he is reluctant to leave her bedside - but once another body is discovered, his search for the killer intensifies.As Samuel adjusts to life under the radar, he begins to feel safe, even with a gang out for blood and the police on his trail. But it isn't long before he realises that his sanctuary may be home to a deadly secret.What readers are saying about THE HIDEOUT:'Full of intrigue, mystery and suspense [...] Scandi Noir at its very best. Highly recommended' Cal Turner Reviews 'A Nordic Noir in every sense of the word, this novel is a tense, well-written book' Sharon Beyond the Books 'Utterly gripped [...] I loved The Hideout' Jera's Jamboree 'A tense and eerie thriller that made me have goosebumps throughout' Echoes in an Empty Room 'A five-star read' Jackie's Reading 4 Leisure 'Twisty and gripping' Ceri's Little Blog 'Unpredictable [...] intriguing' Fiction From Afar 'A moral tale with a slow burn aesthetic which I would highly recommend to any fan of Nordic Noir!' Rachel Read It 'This is a great read, perfect for cold nights this winter' Varietats 'Clever and compelling [...] A very enjoyable, twisted thriller' Rambling Mads 'This is well written and captivated me completely. I have been kept guessing till the very end' Little Miss Book Lover 87 'This is a slow burning Scandi Noir [...] really enjoyable' Book 'n' Banter 'Fascinating characters [...] begins with a sucker punch of an opening chapter!' No More Grumpy Bookseller

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One murder. Four confessions.Every. Word. A. Lie. 'Smart, twisty and heartbreaking' TM LOGAN'Keeps you hooked' SUNDAY TIMES'Jackie Collins meets Miss Marple in this sassy whodunnit' PETERBOROUGH TELEGRAPH'Up there with Big little Lies and Desperate Housewives' CLAIRE ALLAN'Twisty and entertaining' HEAT, 'Read of the Week'________________ Why would four women confess to the same murder? At the luxurious Serenity Spa Resort on the Californian coast, guests arrive ready to celebrate what is set to be the wedding of the year. But things are about to go horribly wrong . . .Among them are four brilliant but desperate women - Ginger, Lulu, Emily and Kate - all harbouring a secret they'd do anything to protect.Just twenty-four hours later, a man is found dead at the hotel. In the ensuing investigation, each of these women confess to the crime, insisting they acted alone.The police know they're lying, but why?Only these four women know the answer. And they're not telling . . . ________________'Had me absolutely hooked' JENNY BLACKHURST'Loved the strong female characters' HARRIET TYCE'Totally gripping' VANESSA SAVAGE'A book to completely lose yourself in' JO SPAIN________________*WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PRETTY GUILTY WOMEN*'I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time!''You won't be able to put this book down''A deliciously dishy page turner''The most addictive novel I've read in ages'

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Few Americans, black or white, recognize the degree to which early African American history is a maritime history. W. Jeffrey Bolster shatters the myth that black seafaring in the age of sail was limited to the Middle Passage. Seafaring was one of the most significant occupations among both enslaved and free black men between 1740 and 1865. Tens of thousands of black seamen sailed on lofty clippers and modest coasters. They sailed in whalers, warships, and privateers. Some were slaves, forced to work at sea, but by 1800 most were free men, seeking liberty and economic opportunity aboard ship.Bolster brings an intimate understanding of the sea to this extraordinary chapter in the formation of black America. Because of their unusual mobility, sailors were the eyes and ears to worlds beyond the limited horizon of black communities ashore. Sometimes helping to smuggle slaves to freedom, they were more often a unique conduit for news and information of concern to blacks.But for all its opportunities, life at sea was difficult. Blacks actively contributed to the Atlantic maritime culture shared by all seamen, but were often outsiders within it. Capturing that tension, Black Jacks examines not only how common experiences drew black and white sailors together—even as deeply internalized prejudices drove them apart—but also how the meaning of race aboard ship changed with time. Bolster traces the story to the end of the Civil War, when emancipated blacks began to be systematically excluded from maritime work. Rescuing African American seamen from obscurity, this stirring account reveals the critical role sailors played in helping forge new identities for black people in America.An epic tale of the rise and fall of black seafaring, Black Jacks is African Americans’ freedom story presented from a fresh perspective.

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For nearly 100 years, the question has repeatedly been asked: who was ‘Jack the Ripper’? The real question that should be answered, however, is why? Why were five poor, defenceless women savagely murdered in the slums of Whitechapel in the autumn of 1888? Credible Victorian sources including an Old Etonian police chief (Sir Melville Macnaghten), a famous writer on true crime (George R. Sims), a Conservative MP (Henry Farquharson) and, most incriminatingly, members of the killer’s own family knew that ‘Jack the Ripper’ was Montague John Druitt. He escaped earthly justice by drowning himself in the Thames. This book answers the question of why in 1888 Druitt, a barrister, part-time teacher and first-class cricketer, killed and mutilated women driven into prostitution through social neglect. Compiled from years of meticulous research, The Escape of Jack the Rippermoves from the suffering of impoverished Whitechapel to genteel London society, picturesque Dorset, the Inner Temple and the anonymity of the private asylums of France and England. The struggle of Druitt’s desperate, respectable family to cover up for their dead Montie, whilst preventing any innocent person being hanged for his crimes, is told here. In the Edwardian era, Sir Melville and G. R. Sims ensured that the public understood that the long-deceased Whitechapel fiend was neither poor nor an immigrant, but rather a product of the British establishment. The photographs include the newly discovered last known image of Druitt.

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What does your shadow get up to? Jack and his amazing magical shadow are the VERY best of friends who do everything together. But when Jack's shadow gets up to mischief and starts acting of its own accord, Jack gets the blame. He decides that he has had enough, and the best friends have a falling out. Will Jack and his shadow ever be reunited? With themes of friendship, difference and the power of saying ‘sorry’, this lively story is perfect for anyone who's ever wondered what their shadow gets up to when they're not looking!

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The lives of five strangers collide on a London train carriage, as they become involved in an incident that will change them all forever. A shocking, intensely emotive and wildly original new thriller from Will Carver… ‘Impossibly original, stylish, sinister and heartfelt. The Daves Next Door is so wildly fresh and unmatched, and once again proves that Will Carver has talent and creativity to burn’ Chris Whitaker ‘Once again, Will bends and twists the genre with a novel that is astonishing, profound and hard-hitting’ David Jackson ‘So clever, so dark, so utterly original. Where does Will Carver get his ideas?’ Victoria Selman ‘Stirring. Ambitious. Irreverent. Compassionate. Completely devoid of giveable f*@ks’ Dominic Nolan ___________________________________________________________ A disillusioned nurse suddenly learns how to care. An injured young sportsman wakes up find that he can see only in black and white. A desperate old widower takes too many pills and believes that two angels have arrived to usher him through purgatory. Two agoraphobic men called Dave share the symptoms of a brain tumour, and frequently waken their neighbour with their ongoing rows. Separate lives, running in parallel, destined to collide and then explode. Like the suicide bomber, riding the Circle Line, day after day, waiting for the right time to detonate, waiting for answers to his questions: Am I God? Am I dead? Will I blow up this train? Shocking, intensely emotive and wildly original, Will Carver’s The Daves Next Door is an explosive existential thriller and a piercing examination of what it means to be human … or not. ___________________________________________________________ ‘Will Carver is a thought-provoking and masterful writer of gut-punching fiction ... a powerhouse of a novel. Think Ira Levin at his best’ Michael Wood ‘Will has this uncanny knack of delving into your soul and revealing all the things you really think but are too scared to voice. Absolute GENIUS’ Lisa Hall ‘Another ingenious genre-bender … provocative, twisted and mind-bendingly original’ Sarah Sultoon ‘Sharp, wild and thrilling’ Danielle Louise ‘Completely unpredictable and definitely unputdownable’ Little Miss Book Lover ‘Risk-taking, provocative fiction at its absolute finest … unmissable’ Hair Past a Freckle ‘You don't just read a Will Carver, you experience it. It draws you in and not only entertains, but challenges you’ From Belgium with Booklove Praise for Will Carver ‘One of the most exciting authors in Britain. After this, he’ll have his own cult following’ Daily Express ‘Unlike anything you’ll read this year’ Heat ‘Move the hell over Brett Easton Ellis and Chuck Palahniuk … Will Carver is the new lit prince of 21st-century disenfranchised, pop darkness’ Stephen J. Golds ‘Incredibly dark and very funny’ Harriet Tyce ‘I fell in love with Carver's murderous Maeve. This is an Eleanor Oliphant for crime fans. Carver truly at his best’ Sarah Pinborough ‘A darkly delicious page-turner’ S J Watson ‘One of the most compelling and original voices in crime fiction’ Alex North ‘Weirdly page-turning’ Sunday Times ‘Laying bare our 21st-century weaknesses and dilemmas, Carver has created a highly original state-of-the-nation novel’ Literary Review ‘Arguably the most original crime novel published this year’ Independent ‘This mesmeric novel paints a thought-provoking if depressing picture of modern life’ Guardian ‘This book is most memorable for its unrepentant darkness…’ Telegraph ‘Utterly mesmerising…’ Crime Monthly ‘Will Carver’s most exciting, original, hilarious and freaky outing yet’ Helen FitzGerald ‘Vivid and engaging and completely unexpected’ Lia Middleton

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The Lapwing once had many regional names; the Loon has a British-American identity crisis and the respectable-sounding Apostlebird is often called a Lousy Jack. Why do bird names, both common and scientific, change over time and why do they vary so much between different parts of the English-speaking world? Wandering through the scientific and cultural history of ornithology takes us to the heart of understanding the long relationship between birds and people. Lapwings, Loons and Lousy Jacks uncovers the stories behind the incredible diversity of bird names, explains what many scientific names actually mean and takes a look at the history of the system by which we name birds. Ray Reedman explores the natural history and folklore behind bird names, in doing so unlocking the mystery of the name Scoter, the last unexplained common name of a British bird species.

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For nearly 100 years, the question has repeatedly been asked: who was ‘Jack the Ripper’? The real question that should be answered, however, is why? Why were five poor, defenceless women savagely murdered in the slums of Whitechapel in the autumn of 1888? Credible Victorian sources including an Old Etonian police chief (Sir Melville Macnaghten), a famous writer on true crime (George R. Sims), a Conservative MP (Henry Farquharson) and, most incriminatingly, members of the killer’s own family knew that ‘Jack the Ripper’ was Montague John Druitt. He escaped earthly justice by drowning himself in the Thames. This book answers the question of why in 1888 Druitt, a barrister, part-time teacher and first-class cricketer, killed and mutilated women driven into prostitution through social neglect. Compiled from years of meticulous research, The Escape of Jack the Ripper moves from the suffering of impoverished Whitechapel to genteel London society, picturesque Dorset, the Inner Temple and the anonymity of the private asylums of France and England. The struggle of Druitt’s desperate, respectable family to cover up for their dead Montie, whilst preventing any innocent person being hanged for his crimes, is told here. In the Edwardian era, Sir Melville and G. R. Sims ensured that the public understood that the long-deceased Whitechapel fiend was neither poor nor an immigrant, but rather a product of the British establishment. The photographs include the newly discovered last known image of Druitt.

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'An outstanding thriller. Just make sure you read it with ALL the lights on.' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'All the wows!!!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐One sister went out into the dark for help. Will she come back?Returning from a difficult visit to their father, three sisters find themselves lost in a storm. Together, they seek safety in an abandoned manor house, a place where they spent a troubled childhood clinging to each other for support, before one day fleeing with their parents in the dead of night.As the storm intensifies, the sisters draw straws to decide who should go outside to get help. But as they separate, they realise they might not be alone. . . Why did the family leave so suddenly all those years ago? Who else is hiding in the house? And will the sisters survive the night?Read what everyone is saying about The Short Straw:'An intensely readable and gripping page-turner. By turns tense, shocking and moving, and with an atmosphere you could cut with a knife' ALEX MICHAELIDES'An addictive read that takes place over one unforgettable night where one family's secrets rise to the surface - Patricia Highsmith meets Shirley Jackson' GILLIAN MCALLISTER'Deliciously creepy, and a fascinating study of the complex, often toxic, relationships within families' SHARON BOLTON'Utterly gripping and unputdownable' JANE FALLON'Having three sisters, I could relate to the sibling dynamics . . . It's twisty, gothic, and with a heartbreakingly shocking reveal' LISA HALL'Holly creates such exquisite tension that you really can't put her books down . . . I felt the sense of place, the weather, the cold in that house in my bones' EMMA CURTIS'Gripping, creepy and drenched in atmosphere' CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD'This irresistible slow-burn thriller is as much a study of family dynamics as it is a creepy & suspense-filled spine-tingler' FIONA CUMMINS

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The second Rebus omnibus comprising books 4,5 and 6 in the Rebus series: Strip Jack; The Black Book; Mortal Causes.Strip Jack: MP Gregor Jack is caught in an Edinburgh brothel with a prostitute only too keen to show off her considerable assets. Then Jack's wife disappears. Someone wants to strip Jack naked and Rebus wants to know why.The Black Book: When a close colleague is brutally attacked, Rebus is drawn into a case involving a hotel fire, an unidentified body and a long-forgotten night of terror and murder. Rebus must piece together a jigsaw no one wants completed.Mortal Causes: It is August in Edinburgh and the Festival is in full swing. A brutally tortured body is discovered in one of the city's ancient subterranean streets and Rebus suspects the involvement of sectarian activists. The prospect of terrorism in a city heaving with tourists is unthinkable.

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Readers of Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy and Fiona Valpy will simply love this utterly captivating, emotional and memorable novel from The Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Sallis.Readers are loving The Apple Barrel!"A book you can become immersed in and just enjoy" - 5 STARS"Susan Sallis has such an insight into characters - a very moving, interesting story" - 5 STARS"Beautifully written....kept my attention to the end" - 5 STARS"One of those books where you are unaware how long you have been reading! Loved it!" - 5 STARS"A book that you have great difficulty putting down but very sorry when it's finished" - 5 STARS********************************************************WHEN FACED WITH BETRAYAL, CAN YOU FIND PEACE? Hope and Jack Langley's marriage gets off to a promising start: they spend their honeymoon in a primitive Cornish cottage called Widdershins and Hope falls in love with the place on sight - even though half of it has fallen down, water has to be pumped by hand and there are no sea views.Soon after they return home to begin married life in a small village outside Gloucester, Hope discovers she is pregnant. And, almost simultaneously, the glamorous Petersens, Henrik and Mandy, move in as new neighbours. Local rumour about the couple is rife: they are rich, they are Norwegian, they aren't married, they give crazy parties. To Hope and Jack, they seem reassuringly normal and kind and soon the two couples became close.With the birth of their second daughter, the Langleys' happiness seems complete. But appearances can be deceptive.The challenges that eventually confront Hope are almost overwhelming, and the only place that offers refuge and peace is her beloved Widdershins.

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Bored by society's rules and strictures, Kathryn 'Kit' Cranmer yearns for adventure - and she finds it on Britain's rugged eastern coast, dressed as a boy at the head of a rag-tag band of smugglers. But there is another who rules the night: the notorious Captain Jack, the ruthless leader of a rival gang who will allow no tresspassers...and who stops Kit's breath with his handsome, etched features and powerful physique. In no time, Captain Jack sees though Kit's brazen disguise - and tempts her with kisses that compel the beautiful adventuress to surrender her cherished independence for nights of incomparable bliss. But her lover is much more than he seems - a man of secrets and dangerous mystery - and becoming Captain Jack's woman will carry Kit into a world of sensuous pleasures and unparalleled perils...and to new heights of excitement beyond anything she's ever dreamed.

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Both life and golf can offer frustrations and also important lessons on topics ranging from "grinding it out" to versatility, sportsmanship, honesty, and of course confidence. In the words of Grantland Rice, "Like life, golf can be humbling. However, little good comes from brooding about mistakes we've made. The next shot, in golf or life, is the big one." In Golf's Life Lessons, Richard Allen details 55 life lessons that we can learn from time spent on the golf course. In doing so, he applies examples and insight from the likes of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Bob Hope, Lee Trevino, Ben Hogan, and many others. Through these anecdotes on the pros, golfers of all skill levels can discover that it’s not only how well you putt or chip, but also how you respond mentally to golf’s—and life’s—many roadblocks. This book makes the perfect gift for duffers and professionals alike!

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In 1852, young Walt Whitman – a down-on-his-luck housebuilder in Brooklyn – was hard at work writing two books. One would become one of the most famous volumes of poetry in American history, a free-verse revelation beloved the world over, Leaves of Grass. The other, a novel, would be published under a pseudonym and serialized in a newspaper. A short, rollicking story of orphanhood, avarice, and adventure in New York City, Life and Adventures of Jack Engle appeared to little fanfare. Then it disappeared. No one laid eyes on it until 2016, when literary scholar Zachary Turpin, University of Houston, followed a paper trail deep into the Library of Congress, where the sole surviving copy of Jack Engle has lain waiting for generations. Now, after more than 160 years, the University of Iowa Press is honored to reprint this lost work, restoring a missing piece of American literature by one of the world's greatest authors, written as he verged on immortality.

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At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 Captain J. L. Jack was serving with the First Cameronians, one of the earliest British regiments to arrive in France. Almost every day while serving in France and Flanders, Jack kept a secret diary. This diary is unique. It presents the detail of a regular officer's life at war during virtually the whole of the First World War on the Western Front. Jack was witness not only to the horror and wretchedness of much that happened in the trenches but also to the bravery and spirit that kept the British soldiers in the line going through to the momentous battles of 1918 and final victory. Poignant and moving, as well as describing the reality of war on the Western Front, these diaries have been edited and linked with commentaries by the distinguished military historian John Terraine.

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An ex-MI6 agent driven to avenge a tragic death.A radical environmental group determined to avert climate catastrophe.A lone outsider with the power to devastate the world.Scott Pearce has torn up the espionage rulebook to overcome those spreading division and hate, but radical environmental group White Fire is a new kind of enemy posing a new kind of threat.With everything on the line, Pearce discovers links to an old enemy thought long defeated, and as the danger rises, he realises he and his team, Leila Nahum and Kyle Wollerton, have underestimated the fight ahead.As the conspiracy that links Black 13 and Red Wolves emerges from the shadows, the team has one chance to avert a global catastrophe that could disable the world permanently . . .Packed with tension and pace, White Fire is the third Scott Pearce novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author.What readers are saying about White Fire:‘If there’s one spy thriller series that sets the bar high for thrilling espionage books, it’s Adam Hamdy’s White Fire’‘Another fast-paced thriller from Adam. A well plotted novel which keeps you on the edge of you seat’‘Ramps up to a wholly satisfying climax’Praise for the Scott Pearce series:'Introduces readers to . . . Scott Pearce who looks set to become the British Jason Bourne or Jack Reacher. A stunning book deserving huge success' – Daily Express'A kinetic ride' – Financial Times‘Intelligent, globe-trotting adventure thriller’ – C. M. Ewan, author of The House Hunt'Hamdy creates smart adrenaline-charged action scenes' – The Times''Move over Jason Bourne, Scott Pearce is in town . . . A breathless rollercoaster of a ride' – Fiona Cummins, author of Into the Dark

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Jacqueline Pearce is well-known to fans of British Sci-Fi television as the iconic Supreme Commander Servalan in Blake's 7, or perhaps as Chessene o' the Franzine Grig in Doctor Who's The Two Doctors. But these appearances are merely two in a long, distinguished career, which in itself is a mere part of a fascinating life. Over a bottle of champagne, she gives an uncompromising interview to Big Finish's Nicholas Briggs, discussing her past triumphs and times. Please note that some material may be unsuitable for younger listeners. After Tom Baker and then Colin Baker, Big Finish now turn their attention to Jacqueline Pearce as the latest subject of their hugely popular ongoing interview range. Jacqueline has recently been working with Big Finish on Doctor Who - The War Doctor stories. CAST: Jacqueline Pearce, Nicholas Briggs (Interviewer).

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