Search results for ""HODDER STOUGHTON""

When Dave Allen passed away in March 2005, we lost a true comedy great. Sitting cross-legged on a high stool, whiskey in one hand, cigarette in the other, Dave Allen's exasperated commentaries on the absurdities of modern life struck a chord with millions of fans in Britain, Ireland and Australia for over four decades. He was a compelling storyteller - able to spin shaggy dog stories out of the almost any subject, including the missing tip of his fourth finger of his left hand, for which he provided various unlikely explanations. But his gentle, laconic wit could also give way to ferocious attacks on the media, the state and, most famously, the Catholic Church. He was a unique talent - a comic who could make his audiences laugh, cry, and be shocked, all in one.This official celebration of Dave Allen's comedy has been drawn together by Graham McCann - Britain's best-loved entertainment writer. It is a treasure trove of stories, stand-up routines, sketches, interviews and photos, which takes us on a journey from the cradle to the grave. It will delight Dave Allen's million of fans, old and new alike.'Dave Allen was our greatest storyteller and nobody ever came close to his ability to spin a yarn. He was unique, right up there with the greats.' Jack Dee

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'In Stockwin's hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world' - Guardian1803. Tensions are escalating again between England and France. While the Royal Navy launches reconnaissance, rescue missions and spies on the continent, French privateer ships are lurking in English waters poised to strike at British trade. Smugglers, perilous storms and a treacherous coastline all threaten to overcome HMS Teazer as her men fight to gain control of the seas around Cornwall and Devon. Meanwhile an unlikely rival is seeking her captain's heart. The beautiful and determined admiral's daughter could be the key to realising all Kydd's hopes and ambitions. But high society, he finds, can be as treacherous as his first mistress - the sea.*******************What readers are saying about THE ADMIRAL'S DAUGHTER'Stockwin's best yet' - 5 stars'Another great Julian Stockwin novel' - 5 stars'Great read, a brilliant series' - 5 stars'A very good book of adventures at sea' - 5 stars'The entire series is utterly brilliant' - 5 stars

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Brilliantly observed, funny, bittersweet, Joyce Grenfell's witty sketches and songs never fail to entertain. This edition contains all the material in the original volumes of George, Don't Do That and Stately as a Galleon, including the bloodthirsty 'Ethel' and the unforgettable nursery school monologues.

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It's Easter in Reading – a bad time for eggs – and no one can remember the last sunny day. Humpty Dumpty, well-known nursery favourite, large egg, ex-convict and former millionaire philanthropist is found shattered beneath a wall in a shabby area of town.Following the pathologist's careful reconstruction of Humpty's shell, Detective Inspector Jack Spratt and his Sergeant Mary Mary are soon grappling with a sinister plot involving cross-border money laundering, the illegal Bearnaise sauce market, corporate politics and the cut and thrust world of international Chiropody. As Jack and Mary stumble around the streets of Reading in Jack's Lime Green Austin Allegro, the clues pile up, but Jack has his own problems to deal with.And on top of everything else, the Jellyman is coming to town...

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On days out to the beach, always be the first in the family to get out of the car, onto the beach and into the sea. Always be the last in the family to get out of the sea, onto the beach and into the car. Remember to shake excess sea water from your fur once you are inside the car.Humans may refrain from passing you food to test. To them, a piece of salmon, followed by Liquorice Allsorts, a chocolate cake, and a selection of vegetables is a foul combination. Humans believe meals should be categorised into three sections. A starter, a main course and a sweet. Disavow them of this. Food is food is food.Always make sure you have more energy at the end of a walk, than you did at the beginning. Believe me, humans love the futility of taking you for a walk to tire you out.

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'As usual Anna Jacobs does not disappoint. This book was just like all her others: excellent, well written and full of surprises and emotions' - 5-star reader reviewEllen Dawson is glad when the Great War ends, but sad that Lady Bingram's aides are to be disbanded. She can't bear to go back into service again after working as a driver and mechanic in London. But she is forced by her mother's illness to accept her old position as housemaid in order to stay in the small Lancashire town, and her stepfather will stop at nothing to get her under his control again. Meanwhile, Seth Talbot is also facing difficulties when he takes over as local policeman in a town where the law has been flouted for years ...*******************What readers are saying about TOMORROW'S PROMISES'Gripping from the start to the end' - 5 stars'An absorbing story' - 5 stars'Excellent read, as usual' - 5 stars'One of her best' - 5 stars'A great book by a great author' - 5 stars

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Carrie Preston is used to hard work - oldest of ten, with an incompetent mother and a drunken father, she struggles to find food for her siblings. But nothing could have prepared her for the day fate deals her family the cruellest of hands, rendering them more desperate than ever.In a harsh world, small acts of kindness can bring great hope -Eli Beckett's offer of a job at the Dragon pub promises a better future for Carrie, especially as Eli's uncle has offered his nephew some spare land to build a music room.With the great cities of England alive to the sound of music halls, the locals of Hedderby are soon looking forward to their own place of celebration and merriment. Yet not everyone in the town shares this excitement, and some will stop at nothing in the pursuit of selfish gain.

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FBI agent Smoky Barrett is no stranger to the darker recesses of the human mind. But nothing could have prepared her for the day she had to watch her husband and daughter die at the hands of a serial killer. She bears the scars, mental and physical.Most people would run - from work, from life, from everything associated with the pain of a shattered existence. But Smoky doesn't know how to run - and when the job that has defined her life comes calling once again with the news that her best friend from high school has been brutally murdered, she finds herself back in the firing line, chasing a hidden killer who will stop at nothing to confront her.Face to face.

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'A great adventure, powerfully told' (Philippa Gregory) A sumptuous tale of passion and danger in the medieval court, Anya Seton's Katherine is an all-time classic.Katherine comes to the court of Edward III at the age of fifteen. The naïve convent-educated orphan of a penniless knight is dazzled by the jousts and the entertainments of court. Nevertheless, Katherine is beautiful, and she turns the head of the King's favourite son, John of Gaunt. But he is married, and she is soon to be betrothed.A few years later their paths cross again and this time their passion for each other cannot be denied or suppressed. Katherine becomes the prince's mistress, and discovers an extraordinary world of power, pleasure and passion.

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'One of the bad girls of gritty crime' Daily Mirror Maria Price is a survivor of the care system who thought she would never have a family or security again. She's just inherited a house and a bank account, and things appear to be looking up.Joel Parry - good-looking, charming and a wonderful lover - seems to know everyone who is anyone in Manchester. He just happens to need a place to stay.Before long Joel moves into Maria's house and is helping her to spend her money. But he isn't what he seems to be. Deep in the drug scene, his terrifying past is about to catch up with him - and the naïve girl who trusts him . . . 'A cracking read that will chill you to the bone' Sun on Two-Faced'Mandasue has played a real blinder with this fantastic novel' Martina Cole on Forget-Me-Not

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Jenny grew up in a house where no-one was safe. Born one of five children in the East End, her childhood was spent in squalor and terror. Her father's violent beatings, humiliations, and sexual abuse were part of daily life; her mother - also his sexual victim and savagely beaten - was no source of help.Deprived of love and all comforts, the children would turn to each other for support and to the only adult they could trust, Auntie.This is the story of how Jenny, her sister Kim and brother Laurence, not only survived but ultimately transcended the unimaginable degradations heaped on them. With the power of love, cunning, the blackest of black humour and an indestructible self-belief, Jenny eventually broke free of her past.

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'In Stockwin's hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world' - GuardianIn the great age of fighting sail, life ranging the seas for prey and prize money in the crack frigate HMS Artemis is fast and exciting.Now a true Jack Tar, Kydd sails into Portsmouth Harbour and a hero's welcome after a ferocious battle against the French. However his jubilation is cut short when a family matter threatens to take him from the life he has grown to love; he must return to Guildford.But the sea beckons irresistibly and Kydd manages to ship out again in his beloved Artemis - a voyage that will take him to the fabled East and present him with fierce challenges, both personal and physical. Finally homeward bound, he faces death itself in the cruel waters of the Great Southern Ocean.********************What readers are saying about ARTEMIS'Fast and furious' - 5 stars'Superb' - 5 stars'I simply could not put it down' - 5 stars'Never fails to entertain!' - 5 stars'A great read for all who love the world of wooden ships when the Royal Navy ruled the seven seas' - 5 stars

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As the no-ship Ithaca flees through space, the heroes of HUNTERS OF DUNE finally meet the Enemy who followed the violent fanatics, the Honored Matres, back to their universe. The thinking machines vanquished by Serena Butler's jihad were not destroyed, only driven into exile - and now, tens of thousands of years later, they are back. Can the resurrected heroes on board the Ithaca save our race from annihilation?

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In the long history of mankind's relationship with felines, one cat stands head and shoulders below the rest. Highly inflammable, the glass-jawed Birmingham lurches from one catastrophe to the next. Through encounters with washing machine spin cycles to his lovelorn pursuit of the aggressively uninterested Sammy, Chris Pascoe's hilarious book paints an intimate portrait of the author's calamitous relationship with a cat wholly unsuited to being feline. Persistently molested by an irate sparrow, physically incapable of negotiating the intricacies of the cat-flap and with a near-fatal appreciation of the effects of gravity, Brum nevertheless remains steadfast in his subconscious pursuit of oblivion. Worryingly, these stories are true. Will nine lives be enough?

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Diana Cooper is a bestselling author and international speaker. In this updated edition of Angel Inspiration, Diana Cooper offers her wisdom on how, together, humans and angels have the power to change the world.We are only now opening up to the presence of angels and their ability to guide us. Everyone has their own guardian angel, there to help and protect whenever possible. Yet few of us understand the healing and support these angels can bring us and how to invoke their help. In this book, Diana Cooper introduces us to the whole hierarchy of angels and the special powers that we can call upon. With exercises and lessons to encourage your angelic presences, Angel Inspiration can not only help bring you closer to your angel but change other people's lives too.

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A cold-blooded psychopath. And a woman whose world is about to explode.Carl Herbold enjoys being bad. And he is terrifyingly good at it. He graduated easily from juvenile delinquent to full-blown killer. Now he has carried out a daring escape from jail and is headed back to where it all began.Anna Corbett was widowed right before her son was born. Beset by debt and personal tragedy, she faces the toughest challenge of her life - holding on to the ranch that is her son's birthright - unaware that she is at the centre of Carl Herbold's vengeful plan.Drifter Jack Sawyer is a seemingly easygoing cowboy whose past is shrouded in mystery. Stalked by secrets he can no longer outrun, he is hoping to protect Anna and her son from Herbold's rage.All must grapple with their own demons before the final tumultuous confrontation.*************Praise for Sandra Brown'An edge-of-the-seat thriller that's full of twists . . . Top stuff!' Star'Lust, jealousy, and murder suffuse Brown's crisp thriller' Publishers Weekly 'Perfectly plotted . . . sin-tillating suspense'People magazine

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Elizabeth George is one of the most successful writers of crime fiction in the world. Her twelve novels have appeared on bestseller lists in the UK, USA and Australia, and several of them have been dramatised by BBC Television as the Inspector Lynley Mysteries. She has also written a collection of short stories and edited a crime anthology.Now she shares this wealth of experience with would-be novelists, and with crime fiction fans. Drawing extensively on her own work, and that of other bestselling writers including Stephen King, Harper Lee, Dennis Lehane and many others, she illustrates her points about plotting, characterisation and technique with great clarity. She also includes extracts from her own Journals - the diaries she keeps as she writes each of her novels - and these give us an unprecedented insight into the creative mind, with all its highs and lows.

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Bono is one of the most influential musicians at work today. Over the past twenty-five years his band, U2, have sold a staggering 130 million albums and collected 14 Grammys. Their success has made Bono one of the most recognisable faces in the world.Here, in a series of conversations with his friend, the music journalist, Michka Assayas, Bono reflects on his transformation from extrovert singer of a small, Irish, post-punk band into an international rock star. Along the way he speaks candidly about his childhood, about his mother's death, about his Christian faith and about his difficult relationship with his father, who died recently. Bono also speaks passionately about how he has used his fame as a platform to campaign fervently on a range of global issues, and why these issues - which include the IRA ceasefire, Third World debt and, most recently, the growing AIDS crisis in Africa - are so important to each of us.Intimate, humorous, and fiercely opinionated, BONO ON BONO is Bono's story in his own words. It will fascinate and challenge fans of U2 and general readers alike.

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Joann Fletcher, presenter of BBC2's 'Ancient Egypt: Life and Death in the Valley of the Kings' has written an enthralling account of Nefertiti, one of Egypt's most compelling and mysterious figures. She and her controversial pharaoh husband Akhenaten lived in perhaps the most tumultuous period in the country's long history, fascinating for both the enormous changes it brought to Egypt's culture and the many mysteries surrounding it. Top Egyptologist Dr Joann Fletcher has taken a fresh eye to the evidence and arrived at one of the most dramatic discoveries of recent times. She and her expert team have identified a long-forgotten mummy from the Valley of the Kings as the body of a female pharaoh of the Amarna Period, whom she believes is Nefertiti. It tells a story which will forever change the way we see Nefertiti - and women throughout Egyptian history.At last we see the full significance of her role as co-regent and later as Pharaoh, and understand the astonishing luxury and decadence of her life as the country around her disintegrated.

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McGEE ON FOOD AND COOKING is a masterpiece of gastronomic writing; a rich, addictive blend of chemistry, history and anecdote that no self-respecting foodie or cook can afford to be without.McGEE ON FOOD AND COOKING renders the everyday miracles of the kitchen wondrous and fascinating, shedding light on questions that have puzzled generations of cooks. If you've ever wondered why fish goes off quicker than meat; how to tell stale eggs from fresh ones; why you're supposed to leave pancake batter to rest; how it is that cheese can possibly have so many different permutations of flavour and texture; why chopping onions makes you cry; about the health benefits of chocolate and alcohol; why Jerusalem artichokes make you fart; or even how to avoid poisoning your guests - then this is the book for you. With the enlightenment it brings, you may find yourself emerging from the culinary dark ages.Harold McGee's original ON FOOD AND COOKING was acclaimed as a masterpiece on both sides of the Atlantic, and won the 1986 André Simon Food Book of the Year. Now completely rewritten for a new generation, reflecting the seismic shifts in science and upsurge in home cooking over the past two decades, this new book will amaze all those who love food.

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Diana Cooper's first novel THE SILENT STONES has already proved to be a hugely popular success, and her new title continues the winning formula of weaving enlightening spiritual wisdom into a fast-paced and compelling adventure story. Set in Africa, this latest novel features anexciting quest to protect a sacred lion cub whose birth will heal the tear in the precious Web of Light surrounding the Earth. Throughout the story Diana Cooper unfolds the mystical secrets of the Sphinx, Pyramids and Bermuda Triangle, reveals the true purpose of our most sacred animals, as well as exploring the connections between our planet and others, and the pure wisdom of Atlantis.

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The countdown to murder has begun . . .When a caller to a late night radio talk show announces his intention to murder a woman he's kidnapped within seventy-two hours, mayhem ensues. Paris Gibson, the mysterious host of the show in question, finds herself in the spotlight for the first time in years.Who has been abducted? And what is the identity of the caller, known only as 'Valentino'? The clock is ticking and in the midst of the frenzy to track down the missing woman, Paris finds herself working alongside someone she's tried hard to forget: Dean Malloy, the police psychologist who's heading up the investigation.With every hour that passes, the hunt grows increasingly desperate but how significant are the secrets that Dean and Paris conceal in their mutual past? They need to identify Valentino before he can execute his murderous plans . . . and before he can exact vengeance on Paris for trying to stop him.***********Praise for Sandra Brown'Virtuoso plot twists . . . Brown's thriller engages the primal senses' Kirkus Reviews'An edge-of-the-seat thriller that's full of twists . . . Top stuff!'Star'Brown's novels define the term "page turner"'Booklist

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In Cook's relatively short and adventurous life (1728-79) he voyaged to the eastern and western seaboards of North America, the North and South Pacific and the Arctic and Antarctic bringing about a new comprehension of the world's geography and its people's. He was the linking figure between the grey specualtion of the early eighteenth century and the industrial age of the first half of the nineteenth century.Richard Hough's biograpahy is full of new insights and interpretations of one of the world's greatest mariners.

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In this powerful book, Roger Housden harnesses the unique ability of poetry to touch the reader's inner-most feelings. For everyone who knows there is more to life than they are currently experiencing, it aims to bring an awakening...Through the voices of ten very individual poets, Housden directs each of us to examine the universal themes that pursue us through life: those that stir our eternal emotions and desires. The ten poems presented are timeless; affecting us with a powerful sense of reality, and moving us to alter the way we view ourselves and the world. With a penetrating commentary on each of the poems, Housden provides an insight into his own spiritual journey, and invites us to contemplate the significance of the poet's message in our own lives.

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This true account of the aliens who invaded the town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia - first published in 1975 - has been made into a major motion picture starring Richard Gere, Laura Linney and Alan Bates. For thirteen months Point Pleasant was plagued by a dark terror that culminated in a major disaster. Unearthly noises and ghostly lights in the sky gave way to mutilated animals, winged monsters, weird flying machines and worst of all, the fearsomely demonic "Bird" - the Mothman. The story reads like a novel - but every single word of it is true and fully documented by john A. Keel, who spent a year in Point Pleasant where he saw and experienced many of the stranger manifestations personally.

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From the writer of the award-winning Game of Thrones series for HBO based on the books of George R. R. Martin.'David Benioff is an exceptional storyteller' Khaled Hosseini'[An] acerbically captivating first novel' New York TimesAlso adapted as a feature film by Spike Lee starring Edward Norton and Philip Seymour HoffmanMonty Brogan starts a seven-year prison sentence for dealing drugs tomorrow. Tonight is his last night of freedom. His father wants him to run. His drug-lord boss, Uncle Blue, wants to know if he squealed. His girlfriend isn't sure what she wants, and his two best friends know one thing for sure; after he goes in, he will never be the same.'As unusual as it is well wrought: it resonates with a Whitmanesque sense of the city's possibilities and unsatisfied longings' New Yorker

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She thought the worst was behind her . . .Life is tough in Lancashire in 1905 - and especially so for fifteen-year-old Mary Ann, who was born out of wedlock. When her new stepfather begins to abuse her, Mary Ann doesn't know how much more she can take - until the worst happens and she is sent away to bear his child. After the birth, she manages to escape to Blackpool with the help of her new friend Gabriel.Years later, the Great War brings Mary Ann many new opportunities, and brings Gabriel back into her life - but circumstances mean they can never be together. When her mother dies, Mary Ann decides it's finally time to return to Lancashire and uncover the secrets of her past. But an unknown danger threatens both her and the child she thought she'd lost forever . . . Will history repeat itself - or will Mary Ann's courage win her the happiness she deserves?************************What readers are saying about OUR MARY ANN'Spellbinding' - 5 stars'I couldn't put this book down. A tale of a strong woman who managed to keep her head and heart up against adversity' - 5 stars'First class!' - 5 stars

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'Hypnotic, feverish and altogether wonderful' (Guardian) - the author of the bestselling Long Firm trilogy turns his eye on the anarchic 1970s. As the dreams of the 1960s give way to anger and political unrest in the '70s, the charismatic anarchist Declan O'Connell commits suicide, leaving his boyfriend Pearson and fellow squatter Nina to try to make sense of what has happened. Enter Sweet Thing, a streetwise rent boy, who has an uncanny hold over glam rock star Johnny Chrome; and in the wings lurks Detective Sergeant Walker of the newly formed Bomb Squad, who knows more about O'Connell than anyone ever suspected. The course of all their lives is about to change forever.

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She thought she could trust him . . .Eva Kershaw thought she would never marry, and is happy living a quiet life with her dear friend Alice. But Alice is ill, and her nephew, Gus, has thrust himself into their household. Alice's dearest wish is that Eva should not make the same mistakes she did, and she alters her will so that Eva and Gus are strongly compelled to marry. Eva obliges to fulfil her dead friend's wishes.But Gus is not all he seems to be: he is not Alice's kind nephew, but a robber, confidence trickster, and not even Gus Blake. And Eva is in terrible danger . . .*********************What readers are saying about OUR EVA'Yet another fantastic story in the Kershaw Sisters series . . . Anna Jacobs is an amazing author' - 5 stars'Another fantastic book you won't want to put down' - 5 starsA great read from great writer' - 5 stars

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Set in Cumbria and covering the period from 1898 to the early twenties, this is the powerful saga of John Tallentire, first farm labourer, then coal miner, and his wife Emily. John's struggle to break free from the humiliating status of a 'hired man' is the theme of a novel which has been hailed as a classic of its kind - as meticulously detailed as a social document, as evocative as the writings of Hardy and Lawrence.

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Pete McCarthy's tale of his hilarious trip around Ireland has gained thousands of fans all over the world. Pete was born in Warrington to an Irish mother and an English father and spent happy summer holidays in Cork. Years later, reflecting on the many places he has visited as a travel broadcaster, Pete admits that he feels more at home in Ireland than anywhere. To find out whether this is due to rose-coloured spectacles or to a deeper tie with the country of his ancestors, Pete sets off on a trip around Ireland and discovers that it has changed in surprising ways. Firstly obeying the rule 'never pass a pub with your name on it', he encounters McCarthy's bars up and down the land, and meets English hippies, German musicians, married priests and many others. A funny, affectionate look at one of the most popular countries in the world.

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Mary Stokes was walking through Dead Man's Copse one evening when she saw, in the beam of a torch, the corpse of a young woman dressed in a black coat, black gloves, no hat and an eternity ring set with diamonds in her ear. But when she and Detective Sergeant Frank Abbott went back to the wood the body had vanished.This would have been mystery enough for Miss Silver to solve if a woman had not also reported that her lodger had gone out on Friday dressed in a black coat, black beret, black shoes and large hoop earrings 'set all round with little diamonds like those eternity rings.' She never came back...

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Jack Solomon is a messenger of death.Working in the fractured remains of Yugoslavia, his task is to identify the victims of ethnic cleansing and to tell families that their loved ones are never coming home.Years of toiling in the killing fields have desensitised the former London policeman to the horrors of war, but when a truck containing twenty-six bodies is pulled from a lake, Solomon is unable to walk away from the case.He sets out to track down the only survivor of the massacre, a young girl on the run from the killers. Solomon's hunt for the last witness takes him from the brothels of Sarajevo to the high-stakes world of London's internet prostitution - where he will discover that the killers are closer to home than he thinks . . .*********PRAISE FOR STEPHEN LEATHER'A master of the thriller genre'Irish Times'A writer at the top of his game'Sunday Express'In the top rank of thriller writers' Jack Higgins

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Shortly before his unexpected coronation, King Richard passed a law letting all of England's prisoners go free. Shortly afterwards a young nun is found, gruesomely murdered. Richard swiftly employs an old military colleague of his, Josse d'Acquin, to unravel this hideous mystery. Who could have wanted to kill this innocent young novice, and, more worryingly, why?Josse goes to Hawkenlye Abbey to find out the answers to these questions. He is having little success until meets the Abbess Helewise, a woman who quickly proves herself to be his equal, both as an amateur sleuth, and as a figure the community can rely on during this turbulent time for England.This duo have to find the murderer, and find him quickly, or they'll have the King of England to answer to...

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'One of the bad girls of gritty crime' Daily Mirror A gritty tale of hard time, hard men and hard drugs for fans of Martina Cole, Dreda Say Mitchell and Kerry Barnes.When Mary's mother throws her out, the sassy teenager soon learns how tough life can be. Her new friend Lynne is older, more sophisticated. She has a taste for cocaine and isn't above walking the streets for extra cash to pay for it.Mary sticks to a straighter path, until the night Lynne brings Ali and Raiz back to their flat. The women don't know that their sexy new friends are small-time criminals, desperate for alibis for a drug-dealer's murder.All too soon, Mary is in more trouble than she can handle. Can her old friend Jane's risky scheme save Mary? Or has her fate been sealed by falling for the wrong man? 'A cracking read that will chill you to the bone' Sun on Two-Faced'Mandasue has played a real blinder with this fantastic novel' Martina Cole on Forget-Me-Not

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Jessie Burton is lively and intelligent - she wants more than the respectable life in service her mother has planned for her. Times are changing, railways are being built across the land bringing new freedom and possibilities. Jessie tastes that freedom when she meets an ambitious young navvy, newly arrived in Yorkshire. The attraction between them is overwhelming. And Jared Wilde is determined to make Jessie his wife. The primitive, colourful shanty towns that spring up around the railway works are nothing like the safe world Jessie once knew. But in spite of the hardness of life there, she finds happiness with Jared. Until another navvy becomes determined to destroy their future together...

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LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTIONFROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF WHAT I LOVED 'A taut and convincing drama, as well as an intriguing metaphysical thriller' Sunday Times'Full of humour, surprise and powerful images' ObserverLily Dahl is a heroine of the old school: tough, beautiful and brave. A nineteen-year-old waitress and aspiring actress living in Webster, Minnesota, she becomes enchanted by an exotic outsider - an artist from New York. Drawn into a world of erotic adventure, she finds herself the target of mysterious acts of madness as she strains against the confines of small town life.'Queasily erotic, gothic and menacing' Evening StandardPRAISE FOR SIRI HUSTVEDT:'Hustvedt is that rare artist, a writer of high intelligence, profound sensuality and a less easily definable capacity for which the only word I can find is wisdom' Salman Rushdie'One of our finest novelists' Oliver Sacks'Reading a Hustvedt novel is like consuming the best of David Lynch' Financial Times'Few contemporary writers are as satisfying and stimulating to read as Siri Hustvedt' Washington Post

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Chris Hutchison is a man on the run.Imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, Hutch escapes from a British maximum-security prison and starts a new life in Hong Kong. But a ghost from his past catches up with him and gives him a choice: help a former terrorist break out of a Bangkok prison - or face life behind bars once more.Meanwhile, the DEA wants to nail the vicious drug warlord responsible for flooding the States with cheap heroin. And decides to use Hutch as a pawn in a deadly game.Hutch's bid for freedom takes him into the lawless killing fields of the Golden Triangle, where the scene is set for one final act of betrayal . . .***********PRAISE FOR STEPHEN LEATHER'A master of the thriller genre'Irish Times'A writer at the top of his game'Sunday Express 'As tough as British thrillers get . . . gripping' Irish Independent

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Why does a wealthy Scottish financier set up a drugs deal with the IRA? Jeopardise his career, endanger his family and lover by tangling with the East End underworld and a ruthless mercenary? The motive is simple: revenge for a cold-blooded act of murder.His adversary is a dangerous gangland boss whose connections stretch from the Highlands to London and beyond. More than a match for a newcomer, especially when that newcomer's plans contain a fatal flaw which will be discovered only when it is much too late . . . *********PRAISE FOR STEPHEN LEATHER'A master of the thriller genre'Irish Times'As tough as British thrillers get . . . gripping' Irish Independent 'The sheer impetus of his story-telling is damned hard to resist'Sunday Express

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Britain during the Dark Ages is the setting for the fascinating story of Bega, a young Irish princess who became a saint, and her lifelong bond with Padric, prince of the north-western kingdom of Rheged. This dramatic, far-reaching tale brings to life a land of warring kings, Christians and pagans, and tribes divided by language and culture, illuminating a little-known yet critical period in British history.

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The definitive biography of J.M.W. Turner.'A pleasure to read'.' A.S. BYATT'With splendid clarity and shrewd humour, James Hamilton evokes the visceral world of a great artist and a fascinating character.' MIKE LEIGHIn 1799, aged just 24, Turner became an Associate of the Royal Academy. While influential collectors competed to buy his paintings, he travelled widely, observing landscape and people and gathering material for a cycle of images that would come to express the collective identity of Britain. In this lucid blend of vibrant biography and acute art history, James Hamilton introduces Turner to a new generation of readers and paints a picture of a uniquely generous human being, a giant of the nineteenth century and a beacon for the twenty-first.

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'Andrew Taylor is a master story-teller' Daily Telegraph From the No.1 bestselling author of The Ashes of London and The Fire Court, this is the first instalment in the acclaimed Lydmouth seriesWorkmen in the small market town of Lydmouth are demolishing an old cottage. A sledgehammer smashes into what looks like a solid wall. Instead, layers of wallpaper conceal the door of a locked cupboard which holds a box - and in the box is the skeleton of a young baby. Items within the box suggest that the baby was entombed early in the nineteenth century, but when another man is also found dead, the evidence suggests that the baby's death is more recent and that a killer is on the loose. For Journalist Jill Francis, newly arrived from London, this looks like her first story to chase ... 'An excellent writer. He plots with care and intelligence and the solution to the mystery is satisfyingly chilling' The Times'The most under-rated crime writer in Britain today' Val McDermid 'There is no denying Taylor's talent, his prose exudes a quality uncommon among his contemporaries' Time Out

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Stephen Leather's BESTSELLING breakthrough thriller.The Chinaman understood death.Jungle-skilled, silent and lethal, he had killed for the Viet Cong and then for the Americans. He had watched helpless when his two eldest daughters had been raped and killed by Thai pirates.Now all that was behind him. Quiet, hard-working and unassuming, he was building up his South London take-away business.Until the day his wife and youngest daughter were destroyed by an IRA bomb in a Knightsbridge department store.Then, simply but persistently, he began to ask the authorities who were the men responsible, what was being done. And was turned away, fobbed off, treated as a nuisance.Which was when the Chinaman, denied justice, decided on revenge. And went back to war.

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Schoolboy narrator Daniel Jordan, growing up in working-class Sydney during the Second World War, is confused by a world in which the religious dogma of his school conflicts with the communism of his family's terrifying neighbour, the 'Comrade'. Refreshingly unsentimental, this is the funny, ultimately tragic story of a boy struggling to understand a world in which concepts like innocence and guilt, good and evil are clearly open to interpretation.

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'ONE OF OUR VERY BEST WRITERS' Sunday Times'A tour de force'The Times'Intoxicating'Daily Telegraph'Devilishly delightful'New York Times Book Review'Beautifully and compellingly written'Sunday Express'Audacious'Times Literary SupplementThe bestselling classic tale of a woman scorned, from a much-loved British author Ruth Patchett never thought of herself as particularly devilish.Rather the opposite in fact - simply a tall, not terribly attractive woman living a quiet life as a wife and mother in a respectable suburb. But when she discovers that her husband is having a passionate affair with the lovely romantic novelist Mary Fisher, she is so seized by envy that she becomes truly diabolic. Within weeks she has burnt down the family home, collected the insurance, made love to the local drunk and embarked on a course of destruction and revenge. A blackly comic satire of the war of the sexes, The Life and Loves of a She Devil is the fantasy of the wronged woman made real.PRAISE FOR FAY WELDON'She's a Queen of Words'Caitlin Moran'A national treasure'Literary Review'The literary equivalent of a stiff drink, a dip in the Atlantic in January, a pep talk by a mildly sadistic coach'New York Times'Times have changed and Weldon is one of the people who have changed them'The Times'One of the great lionesses of modern English literature'Harper's Bazaar'Fay Weldon's voice is as unmistakeable as her acerbic wit'Financial Times

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The Everton murder case has long been closed. The culprit has been charged with the murder of his uncle and has served a year of his sentence already. Or has he?The evidence against Geoffrey Grey is convincing but his wife believes in his innocence. And so does her young cousin, Hilary, who decides to solve the mystery herself. But when Hilary herself is nearly murdered she turns in desperation to her ex-fiance for help. He calls upon the services of Miss Silver to help solve another mystery, which she does in her own original style.

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''The thinking man''s action hero'' - The Times MagazineTrained Royal Marines Sniper, world record breaker and extreme TV adventurer, Aldo Kane is known for his ability to navigate and lead through challenging and pressured environments, whether it be abseiling into an erupting volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo, rowing the Atlantic, getting locked in a bunker for 10 days with zero daylight, leading Steve Backshall into the jungle or being held at gunpoint...In his debut book, Lessons From The Edge, Aldo will inspire readers with his jaw-dropping stories and show them how to survive and thrive through sheer strength of mind and sharp decision-making. It will reveal how this tough military man was able to cope with suddenly feeling worthless, how he overcame doors literally slamming in his face, how he came to realise that you can''t wait for things to happen and instead how he rediscovered his identity and harnessed his emotions to his a

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'A gripping read for those still pining for GONE GIRL' Elle's top five beach readsThe photo shows a boy who was murdered a year ago.The caption says, 'I KNOW WHO KILLED HIM'.Detective Stephen Moran hasn't seen Holly Mackey since she was a nine-year-old witness to the events of Faithful Place. Now she's sixteen and she's shown up outside his squad room, with a photograph and a story.Even in her exclusive boarding school, in the graceful golden world that Stephen has always longed for, bad things happen and people have secrets. The previous year, Christopher Harper, from the neighbouring boys' school, was found murdered on the grounds. And today, in the Secret Place - the school noticeboard where girls can pin up their secrets anonymously - Holly found the card.Solving this case could take Stephen onto the Murder squad. But to get it solved, he will have to work with Detective Antoinette Conway - tough, prickly, an outsider, everything Stephen doesn't want in a partner. And he will have to find a way into the strange, charged, mysterious world that Holly and her three closest friends inhabit and disentangle the truth from their knot of secrets, even as he starts to suspect that the truth might be something he doesn't want to hear.From the multi-award-winning author of Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller In the Woods, The Secret Place is a searing novel of psychological suspense.

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