The Warden centers on Mr. Harding, a clergyman of great personal integrity who is nevertheless in possession of an income from a charity far in excess of the sum devoted to the purposes of the foundation. On discovering this, young John Bold turns his reforming zeal to exposing what he regards as an abuse of privilege, despite the fact that he is in love with Mr. Harding's daughter, Eleanor.

It was a highly topical novel, as a case regarding the misapplication of church funds was the scandalous subject of contemporary debate. But like other great Victorian novelists, Trollope uses the specific case to explore and illuminate the universal complexities of human motivation and social morality.

The Old Wives' Tale is a superb novel by Arnold Bennett, first published in 1908. It tells the story of the Baines sisters—shy, retiring Constance and defiant, romantic Sophia—over the course of nearly half a century.

Bennett traces the lives of the sisters from childhood in their father's drapery shop in provincial Bursley, England, during the mid-Victorian era, through their married lives, to the modern industrial age, when they are reunited as old women.

The setting moves from the Five Towns of the Staffordshire Potteries to exotic and cosmopolitan Paris. The narrative beautifully captures the transition from the subdued domestic routine of the Baines household to the dramatic events of the modern age, such as the siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War.

This novel was inspired by Bennett's observation of an old lady in a café, sparking a reflection on how her life might have been lived. The Old Wives' Tale is a testament to the integrity of ordinary lives, making it as readable and enjoyable today as it was over a century ago.

The Citadel follows the life of Andrew Manson, a young and idealistic Scottish doctor, as he navigates the challenges of practicing medicine across interwar Wales and England. Based on Cronin's own experiences as a physician, The Citadel boldly confronts traditional medical ethics and has been noted as one of the inspirations for the formation of the National Health Service.

This groundbreaking novel was a distinguished achievement of its time. It presents an honest and moving study of a young doctor, showcasing great literary taste and skill.

The Citadel has been adapted into several successful film, radio, and television productions around the world, including the Oscar-nominated 1938 film.

The Place of the Lion is an extraordinary metaphysical fantasy grounded in Platonic ideals. Charles Williams, a novelist, poet, critic, and dramatist, masterfully blends action and thought in this unique thriller.

In the small English town of Smetham, the barrier between the corporeal and the spiritual has shattered, releasing terrifying archetypal creatures. The meddling of a local mage, Mr. Berringer, has unleashed chaos, threatening the very fabric of reality.

Anthony, a student emboldened by his unwavering love for Damaris, stands as the town's last hope. As platonic archetypes wreak havoc, Anthony must restore balance to prevent the impending apocalypse.

Williams, part of the renowned Oxford Inklings—alongside literary giants like C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien—crafts a tale that engages the mind, heart, and spirit with unparalleled imagination, literary skill, and intelligence.

Billy Liar captures brilliantly the claustrophobic atmosphere of a small town. It tells the story of Billy Fisher, a Yorkshire teenager unable to stop lying - especially to his three girlfriends. Trapped by his boring job and working-class parents, Billy finds that his only happiness lies in grand plans for his future and fantastical day-dreams of the fictional country Ambrosia.

The Touching True Story that won the hearts of millions of readers around the world!

Anna was only four years old when Fynn found her on London's fog-shrouded docks. He took her back to his mother's home, and from that first moment, their times together were filled with delight and discovery. Anna had an astonishing ability to ask—and to answer—life's largest questions. Her total openness and honesty amazed all who knew her. She seemed to understand with uncanny certainty the purpose of being, the essence of feeling, the beauty of love.

You see, Anna had a very special friendship with Mister God.

Life is tough and cheerless for Billy Casper, a troubled teenager growing up in the small Yorkshire mining town of Barnsley. Treated as a failure at school, and unhappy at home, Billy discovers a new passion in life when he finds Kes, a kestrel hawk.

Billy identifies with her silent strength and she inspires in him the trust and love that nothing else can, discovering through her the passion missing from his life. Barry Hines's acclaimed novel continues to reach new generations of teenagers and adults with its powerful story of survival in a tough, joyless world.

Before the man became the legend. Before the boy became the man. Meet Bond. James Bond.

James Bond will one day become the world’s most famous spy, but at the moment his challenge is to fit in at his new school - making friends, learning the rules, and facing up to bullies. Unknown to James, though, there is an even tougher challenge awaiting him - something mysterious and deadly lurking in the water. Something called SilverFin.

This thrilling prequel to the James Bond dynasty shows young James at boarding school at Eton in the 1930s, where he spent his formative years. Acclaimed British writer Charlie Higson, with the Ian Fleming Estate, writes an edge-of-your-seat thriller that brilliantly plants the seeds to show how young James learns the skills that will eventually make him history's most formidable and suave super spy.

To Arthur Seaton, key worker on a lathe in a Nottingham cycle factory, life is one long battle with authority. You don't need to give Arthur more than one chance to do the Government or trick the foreman. And when the day's work is over, Arthur is off to the pubs, raring for adventure.

He is a warrior of the bottle and the bedroom - his slogan is 'If it's going, it's for me' - for his aim is to cheat the world before it can cheat him. And never is the battle more fiercely joined than on Saturday night.

But Sunday morning is the time of reckoning, the time for facing up to life - the time, too, you run the risk of getting hooked! Arthur is no exception.

Growing up in the slums of East End London, Charlie Trumper dreams of someday running his grandfather's fruit and vegetable barrow. That day comes suddenly when his grandfather dies, leaving him the floundering business.

With the help of Becky Salmon, an enterprising young woman, Charlie sets out to make a name for himself as "The Honest Trader". But the brutal onset of World War I takes Charlie far from home and into the path of a dangerous enemy whose legacy of evil follows Charlie and his family for generations.

Encompassing three continents and spanning over sixty years, As the Crow Flies brings to life a magnificent tale of one man's rise from rags to riches set against the backdrop of a changing century.

One minute, silly Heather Badcock had been gabbling on at her movie idol, the glamorous Marina Gregg.
The next, Heather suffered a massive seizure. But for whom was the deadly poison really intended?

Marina’s frozen expression suggested she had witnessed something horrific.
But, while others searched for material evidence, Jane Marple conducted a very different investigation – into human nature.

In Theatre, W. Somerset Maugham—the author of the classic novels Of Human Bondage and Up at the Villa—introduces us to Julia Lambert, a woman of breathtaking poise and talent whose looks have stood by her forty-six years. She is a star stage actress in England—so good, in fact, that perhaps she never stops acting.

It seems that nothing can ruffle her satin feathers, until a quiet stranger challenges Julia's very sense of self. As a result, she will endure rejection for the first time, her capacity as a mother will be affronted, and her ability to put on whatever face she desires for her public will prove limited.

In Theatre, Maugham subtly exposes the tensions and triumphs that occur when acting and reality blend together, and—for Julia—ultimately reverse.

Look Back in Anger is a powerful play first performed in London in 1956. It depicts the despair of post-war youth, capturing the frustration and bitterness of its protagonist, Jimmy Porter. Living in a drab flat with his middle-class wife Alison, Jimmy's life is marked by a sense of disillusionment.

The play explores the dynamics of their relationship and the arrival of Alison's friend Helen, who persuades Alison to leave only to fall for Jimmy herself. As the story unfolds, themes of love, betrayal, and societal constraints are vividly portrayed.

This work was a milestone in theater history, marking the rise of the 'angry young men' movement and challenging the norms of its time with its raw emotional intensity.

The Famous Five are ski-ing and having a brilliant time! But there's always a mystery to solve: such as who is living in the mysterious house near their chalet? The caretaker says the house is empty... but the Five have seen a terrified face at the window...

One thing's for sure -- they have to get to the truth!