George Markham has a nasty little hobby, one that erupts into an orgy of vicious sexual depravity.
Patrick Kelly is a hard man. His one soft spot is his daughter, and when she falls victim to the Grantley Ripper, Kelly wants revenge.
The DI in charge of the case is Kate Burrows. She feels for Kelly, but her growing involvement with a known villain is putting her career at risk...
As the forces of law and order and London's underworld converge in a huge manhunt, Kate fears she'll lose everything she's ever cared about... to the ladykiller.
The Children's Book is a spellbinding novel, at once sweeping and intimate, from the Booker Prize–winning author of Possession, that spans the Victorian era through the World War I years, centering around a famous children’s book author and the passions, betrayals, and secrets that tear apart the people she loves.
When Olive Wellwood’s oldest son discovers a runaway named Philip sketching in the basement of the new Victoria and Albert Museum—a talented working-class boy who could be a character out of one of Olive’s magical tales—she takes him into the storybook world of her family and friends. But the joyful bacchanals Olive hosts at her rambling country house—and the separate, private books she writes for each of her seven children—conceal more treachery and darkness than Philip has ever imagined.
As these lives—of adults and children alike—unfold, lies are revealed, hearts are broken, and the damaging truth about the Wellwoods slowly emerges. However, their personal struggles and hidden desires will soon be eclipsed by far greater forces, as the tides turn across Europe and a golden era comes to an end.
Taking us from the cliff-lined shores of England to Paris, Munich, and the trenches of the Somme, The Children’s Book is a deeply affecting story of a singular family, played out against the great, rippling tides of the day. It is a masterly literary achievement by one of our most essential writers.
A Liverpudlian West Side Story: twin brothers are separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them both. She gives one of them away to wealthy Mrs. Lyons and they grow up as friends in ignorance of their fraternity until the inevitable quarrel unleashes a blood-bath.
Blood Brothers is one of the longest-running and most successful West End musicals. It premiered at the Liverpool Playhouse in January 1983.
Rumors and Gossip: The lifeblood of London!
When Olivia Bevelstoke is told that her new neighbor may have killed his fiancée, she doesn't believe it for a second. However, curiosity gets the better of her, and she can't help but spy on him, just to be sure. Cleverly concealed by curtains, she stakes out a spot near her bedroom window, watches, and waits... only to discover a most intriguing man who is definitely up to something.
Sir Harry Valentine works for the boring branch of the War Office, translating documents vital to national security. He's not a spy, but he's had all the training. When a gorgeous blonde begins to watch him from her window, he is instantly suspicious. Just when he decides that she's nothing more than an annoyingly nosy debutante, he discovers that she might be engaged to a foreign prince, who might be plotting against England.
As Harry is roped into spying on Olivia, he discovers that he might be falling for her himself...
Monday, 24 May, 11.32 a.m. Ted and Kat watch their cousin Salim get on board the London Eye. He turns and waves as the pod rises from the ground.
Monday, 24 May, 12.02 p.m. The pod lands and the doors open. People exit in all shapes and sizes – but where is Salim?
Ted and his older sister Kat become sleuthing partners since the police are having no luck. Despite their prickly relationship, they overcome their differences to follow a trail of clues across London in a desperate bid to find their cousin.
Ultimately, it comes down to Ted, whose brain runs on its own unique operating system, to find the key to the mystery.
One postwar summer in his home of rural Warwickshire, Dr. Faraday, the son of a maid who has built a life of quiet respectability as a country physician, is called to a patient at the lonely Hundreds Hall.
Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the Georgian house, once impressive and handsome, is now in decline, its masonry crumbling, its gardens choked with weeds, the clock in its stable yard permanently fixed at twenty to nine. Its owners—mother, son, and daughter—are struggling to keep pace with a changing society, as well as with conflicts of their own.
But are the Ayreses haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life? Little does Dr. Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become intimately entwined with his.
It is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath.
For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. "I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life."
For Flavia, the summer begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw: "Did the stranger die of poisoning? There was a piece missing from Mrs. Mullet’s custard pie, and none of the de Luces would have dared to eat the awful thing. Or could he have been killed by the family’s loyal handyman, Dogger… or by the Colonel himself!" At that moment, Flavia commits herself to solving the crime — even if it means keeping information from the village police, in order to protect her family. But then her father confesses to the crime, for the same reason, and it’s up to Flavia to free him of suspicion. Only she has the ingenuity to follow the clues that reveal the victim’s identity, and a conspiracy that reaches back into the de Luces’ murky past.
The Midwife is an unforgettable true story and the basis for the hit PBS drama Call the Midwife. At the age of twenty-two, Jennifer Worth leaves her comfortable home to move into a convent and become a midwife in post-war London's East End slums.
The colorful characters she meets while delivering babies all over London—from the plucky, warm-hearted nuns with whom she lives to the woman with twenty-four children who can't speak English to the prostitutes and dockers of the city's seedier side—illuminate a fascinating time in history.
Beautifully written and utterly moving, The Midwife will touch the hearts of anyone who is, and everyone who has, a mother.
Superb Stories, Daring Deeds, Fantastic Adventures
Going Solo is the action-packed sequel to Boy, a tale of Roald Dahl's exploits as a World War II pilot. Told with the same irresistible appeal that has made Roald Dahl one of the world's best-loved writers, Going Solo brings you directly into the action and into the mind of this fascinating man.
This second part of Roald Dahl's extraordinary life story takes you on a journey through his experiences in Africa and his time as a wartime fighter pilot. It is a story that is funny, frightening, and full of fantasy - as you would expect.
Join Roald Dahl in this thrilling autobiographical adventure!
The Ghosts of Ashbury High is a captivating tale set in the exclusive New South Wales high school, where student essays, scholarship committee members' notes, and other writings reveal the intriguing interactions among a group of modern-day students. Their lives intertwine with the story of a young Irishman who was transported to Australia in the early 1800s, creating a blend of contemporary life and historical echoes.
Amelia and Riley, two 'bad kids' from Brookfield High, have transferred to Ashbury High for their final year. In love since they were fourteen, they lead a life filled with dancing and sleeping through school. Their presence at Ashbury creates a buzz, capturing the attention of everyone. Teachers and students alike are drawn to their cool, self-contained world, hoping to be a part of it. As the future looms and final year pressures mount, the past and present of Ashbury students collide in unexpected ways.
Lilly Haswell remembers everything — whether she wants to, or not... As Lilly toils in her father's apothecary shop, preparing herbs and remedies by rote, she is haunted by memories of her mother's disappearance. Villagers whisper the tale, but her father refuses to discuss it. All the while, she dreams of the world beyond — of travel, adventure, and romance.
When a relative offers to host her in London, Lilly discovers the pleasures and pitfalls of fashionable society and suitors, as well as clues about her mother. But will Lilly find what she is searching for — the truth of the past and a love for the future?
Lillian Haswell, brilliant daughter of the local apothecary, yearns for more adventure and experience than life in her father's shop and their small village provides. Opportunity comes when a distant aunt offers to educate her as a lady in London. Exposed to fashionable society and romance—as well as clues about her mother—Lilly is torn when she is summoned back to her ailing father's bedside. Women are forbidden to work as apothecaries, so to save the family legacy, Lilly will have to make it appear as if her father is still making all the diagnoses and decisions. But the suspicious eyes of a scholarly physician and a competing apothecary are upon her. As they vie for village prominence, three men also vie for Lilly's heart.
Mount Mellyn stood as proud and magnificent as she had envisioned... But what about its master—Connan TreMellyn? Was Martha Leigh's new employer as romantic as his name sounded? As she approached the sprawling mansion towering above the cliffs of Cornwall, an odd chill of apprehension overcame her.
TreMellyn's young daughter, Alvean, proved as spoiled and difficult as the three governesses before Martha had discovered. But it was the girl's father whose cool, arrogant demeanor unleashed unfamiliar sensations and turmoil—even as whispers of past tragedy and present danger begin to insinuate themselves into Martha's life.
Powerless against her growing desire for the enigmatic Connan, she is drawn deeper into family secrets—as passion overpowers reason, sending her head and heart spinning. But though evil lurks in the shadows, so does love—and the freedom to find a golden promise forever...
The Uncommon Reader is a deliciously funny novella that celebrates the pleasure of reading. When the Queen, in pursuit of her wandering corgis, stumbles upon a mobile library, she feels duty-bound to borrow a book. Aided by Norman, a young man from the palace kitchen who frequents the library, the Queen is transformed as she discovers the liberating pleasures of the written word.
The author of The History Boys, Alan Bennett, is one of Britain’s best-loved literary voices. With The Uncommon Reader, he brings us a playful homage to the written word, imagining a world in which literature becomes a subversive bridge between powerbrokers and commoners. By turns cheeky and charming, the novella features the Queen herself as its protagonist.
When her yapping corgis lead her to a mobile library, Her Majesty develops a new obsession with reading. She finds herself devouring works by a tantalizing range of authors, from the Brontë sisters to Jean Genet. With a young member of the palace kitchen staff guiding her choices, it’s not long before the Queen begins to develop a new perspective on the world - one that alarms her closest advisers and tempts her to make bold new decisions.
Brimming with the mischievous wit that has garnered acclaim for Bennett on both sides of the Atlantic, The Uncommon Reader is a delightful celebration of books and writers, and the readers who sustain them.
Sheer Abandon is an all-consuming story revolving around the consequences of a desperate act. Martha, Clio, and Jocasta meet by chance at Heathrow airport in 1985 as they are starting off on separate backpacking adventures. They decide to spend the first few days of their trips together in Thailand. When they go their separate ways, they vow to get together in London the following year.
But many years pass before the three cross paths again, and the once-capricious, carefree girls now all have thriving careers. One of them, however, harbors a terrible secret: on her return from her pre-college excursion, she abandoned her just-born daughter at Heathrow.
Clio has fulfilled her ambition of becoming a doctor, only to find herself trapped in a marriage to an arrogant surgeon who belittles her and her professional achievements. Martha is a highly paid corporate lawyer, just embarking on a political career. Dedicated to her job, she has had little time for personal relationships and lives a busy, but lonely life. Jocasta, a tabloid newspaper reporter with an infallible instinct for the big story, is in love with a charming colleague who can’t make the permanent commitment she longs for.
The infant abandoned at Heathrow has grown up under the loving care of her adoptive family. Now a beautiful teenager named Kate, she sets out to find her birth mother—a quest that unexpectedly brings the women together and exposes the secret buried so many years before.
International bestseller and master storyteller Jeffrey Archer is at the very top of his game in this story of fate and fortune, redemption and revenge.
If Danny Cartwright had proposed to Beth Wilson the day before, or the day after, he would not have been arrested and charged with the murder of his best friend. But when the four prosecution witnesses are a barrister, a popular actor, an aristocrat, and the youngest partner in an established firm's history, who is going to believe his side of the story?
Danny is sentenced to twenty-two years and sent to Belmarsh prison, the highest-security jail in the land, from where no inmate has ever escaped.
However, Spencer Craig, Lawrence Davenport, Gerald Payne, and Toby Mortimer all underestimate Danny's determination to seek revenge, and Beth's relentless quest to pursue justice, which ends up with all four fighting for their lives.
Thus begins Jeffrey Archer's most powerful novel since Kane and Abel, with a cast of characters that will remain with you long after you've turned the last page. And if that is not enough, prepare for an ending that will shock even the most ardent of Archer's fans.
Meet Steven Stelfox.
London, 1997: New Labour is sweeping into power and Britpop is at its zenith. Twenty-seven-year-old A&R man Stelfox is slashing and burning his way through the music industry, a world where no one knows anything and where careers are made and broken by chance and the fickle tastes of the general public.
Fueled by greed and inhuman quantities of cocaine, Stelfox blithely criss-crosses the globe—New York, Cologne, Texas, Miami, Cannes: you shout at waiters and sign credit card slips and all that really changes is the quality of the porn—searching for the next hit record amid a relentless orgy of self-gratification.
But as the hits dry up and the industry begins to change, Stelfox must take the notion of cutthroat business practices to murderous new levels in a desperate attempt to salvage his career.
Kill Your Friends is a dark, satirical, and hysterically funny evisceration of the record business—a place populated by frauds, charlatans, and bluffers, where ambition is a higher currency than talent, and where it seems anything can be achieved—as long as you want it badly enough.
"One of you shall have her, and my fortune into the bargain"
Such was the whimsical, some would say outrageous, statement of the ageing Mr. Penicuik, to the three of his great-nephews gathered around him. The future of his vivacious step-daughter, Miss Kitty Charing, was thus assured, provided she married one of the handsome beaux now seeking her hand. But Kitty was in no hurry to conclude such a contract. By hook or by crook, she meant to go to London, where anything might happen and very often did...
The three great-nephews of irascible Mr. Matthew Penicuik know better than to ignore his summons, especially when it concerns the bestowal of his fortune. The wily old gentleman has hatched a freakish plan for his country-bred stepdaughter's future: his fortune will be lovely Catherine Charing's dowry if she marries one of his great-nephews.
To spirited Kitty, the conditions of her guardian's will before she could inherit a tuppence were intolerable. In spite of the unwelcome attentions of greedy suitors, who are scrambling for her hand, Kitty is not wholly averse, but only if the right cousin proposes. Unfortunately, Kitty during her secluded life pining, has set her heart on handsome and virile Jack Westruther, a confirmed rake. Jack, who is well aware of her attachment, however, made it quite clear that he would marry her only when he had sown his last wild oat and seems to have no inclination to marry her anytime soon.
But Kitty has other ideas... and anxious to hasten matters, she devises a plan. Kitty convinces modest and carefree cousin Frederick Standen to pose as her fiancé, hoping thereby to make Jack jealous and to see a little more of the world than her isolated life on her great-uncle's estate has afforded her.
Her plan takes her to visit Freddy's family in London, where her kith and kin embroil her in their romantic troubles, sprinkling witty banter with Parisian phrases. Cousin Lord Foster Dolphinton has fallen for a merchant's daughter in conflict with his mother. Meanwhile, her French cousin, Camille, a professional gambler, tries to win the heart of beautiful Olivia Broughty, in turn the object of cousin Jack's dishonorable intentions. Resourceful cousin Freddie turned out to be more of a man than Kitty anticipated. And when Kitty's generous heart leads to all sorts of unintended troubles, there is only one man who can rescue her from more than one dreadful fix and pick up the pieces of her plotting.
Now, Kitty herself wonders who is really right for her....
I took the skull from its evidence bag and gently set it on the stainless steel table. 'Tell me who you are...'
Forensic anthropologist Dr. David Hunter should be at home in London with the woman he loves. Instead, as a favor to a beleaguered colleague, he's on the remote Hebridean island of Runa to inspect a grisly discovery.
Hunter has witnessed death in many guises, but even he is shocked by what he finds: a body almost totally incinerated except for the feet and a single hand. Could it be a textbook case of spontaneous human combustion? The local police are certain it's an accidental death, but Hunter is not convinced. Examining the scorched remains, he finds the evidence he feared. It's clear to him that this was no accident, this was murder.
But as the small, isolated community considers the enormity of Hunter's findings, a catastrophic storm hits the island. The power goes down, communication with the mainland ceases, and then the killing begins in earnest...
Exploding in a series of violent acts and shocking twists, this is the compelling new crime thriller from a brilliant British storyteller.
Overachieving and eccentric football manager Brian Clough was on his way to take over at the country's most successful, and most reviled football club: Leeds United, home to a generation of fiercely competitive but ageing players. The battle he'd face there would make or break the club - or him.
David Peace's extraordinarily inventive novel tells the story of a world characterised by fear of failure and hunger for success set in the bleak heart of the 1970s.
In her much-anticipated new novel, the New York Times bestselling author of the Outlander saga brings back one of her most compelling characters: Lord John Grey—soldier, gentleman, and no mean hand with a blade. Here, Diana Gabaldon brilliantly weaves together the strands of Lord John's secret and public lives—a shattering family mystery, a love affair with potentially disastrous consequences, and a war that stretches from the Old World to the New.
In 1758, in the heart of the Seven Years' War, Britain fights by the side of Prussia in the Rhineland. For Lord John and his titled brother Hal, the battlefield will be a welcome respite from the torturous mystery that burns poisonously in their family's history. Seventeen years earlier, Lord John's late father, the Duke of Pardloe, was found dead, a pistol in his hand and accusations of his role as a Jacobite agent staining forever a family's honor. Now unlaid ghosts from the past are stirring. Lord John's brother has mysteriously received a page of their late father's missing diary. Someone is taunting the Grey family with secrets from the grave, but Hal, with secrets of his own, refuses to pursue the matter and orders his brother to do likewise.
Frustrated, John turns to a man who has been both his prisoner and his confessor: the Scottish Jacobite James Fraser. Fraser can tell many secrets, and withhold many others. But war, a forbidden affair, and Fraser's own secrets will complicate Lord John's quest. Until James Fraser yields the missing piece of an astounding puzzle, and Lord John, caught between his courage and his conscience, must decide whether his family's honor is worth his life.
Harry Potter is preparing to leave the Dursleys and Privet Drive for the last time. But the future that awaits him is full of danger, not only for him, but for anyone close to him – and Harry has already lost so much. Only by destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes can Harry free himself and overcome the Dark Lord's forces of evil. In a final perilous journey, Harry must find the strength and the will to face a deadly confrontation that is his alone to fight.
One of George Bernard Shaw's best-known plays, Pygmalion was a rousing success on the London and New York stages, an entertaining motion picture and a great hit with its musical version, My Fair Lady. An updated and considerably revised version of the ancient Greek legend of Pygmalion and Galatea, the 20th-century story pokes fun at the antiquated British class system.
In Shaw's clever adaptation, Professor Henry Higgins, a linguistic expert, takes on a bet that he can transform an awkward cockney flower seller into a refined young lady simply by polishing her manners and changing the way she speaks. In the process of convincing society that his creation is a mysterious royal figure, the Professor also falls in love with his elegant handiwork.
The irresistible theme of the emerging butterfly, together with Shaw's brilliant dialogue and splendid skills as a playwright, have made Pygmalion one of the most popular comedies in the English language. A staple of college drama courses, it is still widely performed.
Dreams come true in this hilarious, feel-good fairy tale about life, love, and dating literature’s most eligible bachelor!
After a string of disastrous dates, Emily Albright decides she’s had it with modern-day love and would much rather curl up with Pride and Prejudice and spend her time with Mr. Darcy, the dashing, honorable, and passionate hero of Jane Austen’s classic. So when her best friend suggests a wild week of margaritas and men in Mexico with the girls, Emily abruptly flees to England on a guided tour of Jane Austen country instead.
Far from inspiring romance, the company aboard the bus consists of a gaggle of little old ladies and one single man, Spike Hargreaves, a foul-tempered journalist writing an article on why the fictional Mr. Darcy has earned the title of Man Most Women Would Love to Date.
The last thing Emily expects to find on her excursion is a broodingly handsome man striding across a field, his damp shirt clinging to his chest. But that’s exactly what happens when she comes face-to-face with none other than Mr. Darcy himself. Suddenly, every woman’s fantasy becomes one woman’s reality.
Mr. Darcy's Diary presents the story of the unlikely courtship of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy from Darcy's point of view. Sharing his innermost thoughts and feelings, this graceful imagining and sequel to Pride and Prejudice explains Darcy's moodiness and the difficulties of his reluctant relationship as he struggles to avoid falling in love with Miss Bennet.
Though seemingly stiff and stubborn at times, Darcy's words prove him also to be quite devoted and endearing—qualities that eventually win over Miss Bennet's heart. This continuation of a classic romantic novel is charming and elegant, much like Darcy himself.
Black Swan Green tracks a single year in what is, for thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor, the sleepiest village in muddiest Worcestershire in a dying Cold War England, 1982. But the thirteen chapters, each a short story in its own right, create an exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissingeresque realpolitik enacted in boys’ games on a frozen lake; of “nightcreeping” through the summer backyards of strangers; of the tabloid-fueled thrills of the Falklands War and its human toll; of the cruel, luscious Dawn Madden and her power-hungry boyfriend, Ross Wilcox; of a certain Madame Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck, an elderly bohemian emigré who is both more and less than she appears; of Jason’s search to replace his dead grandfather’s irreplaceable smashed watch before the crime is discovered; of first cigarettes, first kisses, first Duran Duran LPs, and first deaths; of Margaret Thatcher’s recession; of Gypsies camping in the woods and the hysteria they inspire; and, even closer to home, of a slow-motion divorce in four seasons.
Pointed, funny, profound, left-field, elegiac, and painted with the stuff of life, Black Swan Green is David Mitchell’s subtlest and most effective achievement to date.
Set in 1950s London, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets centers around Penelope, the wide-eyed daughter of a legendary beauty, Talitha, who lost her husband to the war. Penelope, with her mother and brother, struggles to maintain their vast and crumbling ancestral home while postwar London spins toward the next decade's cultural revolution.
Penelope wants nothing more than to fall in love, and when her new best friend Charlotte, a free spirit in the young society set, drags Penelope into London with all of its grand parties, she sets in motion great change for them all. Charlotte's mysterious and attractive brother Harry uses Penelope to make his American ex-girlfriend jealous, with unforeseen consequences, and a dashing, wealthy American movie producer arrives with what might be the key to Penelope's—and her family's—future happiness.
Vibrant, witty, and filled with vivid historical detail, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets is an utterly unique debut novel about a time and place just slipping into history.
On a storm-ravaged night, a 19-year-old girl is kidnapped, raped, and killed. Three days later, her two younger brothers set out in search of her murderer.
Cole, 17, is a dark-eyed devil who doesn't care if he lives or dies, while Ruben, 14, is a strange child who sometimes, inexplicably, experiences sensations above and beyond his own. This is the story of the boys' journey from their half-gypsy home on a London junk lot to the ghostly moors of Devon, where they hope and fear to find the truth about their sister's death.
It's a long road, cold and hard and violent. It's The Road of the Dead.
His Last Bow, the title story of this collection, tells how Sherlock Holmes is brought out of retirement to help the Government fight the German threat at the approach of the First World War. The Prime Minister himself requests Holmes's services to hunt down the remarkable German agent, Von Bork.
Several of the detective's earlier cases complete the volume, including 'Wisteria Lodge', 'The Bruce-Partington Plans', and 'The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax'. In 'The Dying Detective', Dr. Watson is horrified to discover Holmes at death's door from a mysterious tropical disease as his friend lays a trap for a murderer.
This collection is a thrilling journey through some of the most intriguing cases of the world's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes.
Embark on an enchanting journey into the heart of the jungle with Rudyard Kipling's timeless classic, The Second Jungle Book. Join Kipling as he returns to the wilds of India to spin a collection of captivating tales filled with adventure, danger, and the timeless wisdom of the jungle.
Step once more into the shoes of Mowgli, the young boy raised by wolves, as he navigates the dangers and wonders of the jungle alongside his animal friends. From encounters with cunning adversaries to tests of courage and loyalty, Mowgli's adventures will transport readers to a world where the laws of nature reign supreme.
Experience the thrill of exploration as Kipling introduces readers to a cast of unforgettable characters, from the wise old Baloo to the fearsome Shere Khan. Through their eyes, readers will witness the beauty and brutality of the jungle, and come to understand the delicate balance that exists between predator and prey.
Delve into the deeper themes and messages woven throughout The Second Jungle Book, from the importance of friendship and loyalty to the timeless struggle between civilization and the wild. With its rich symbolism and allegory, Kipling's stories offer readers a profound meditation on the nature of humanity and our place in the natural world.
The overall tone of The Second Jungle Book is one of adventure, wonder, and reverence for the untamed beauty of the jungle. With its vivid descriptions and evocative imagery, the book captures the imagination and transports readers to a world where danger and discovery await around every corner.
Since its publication, The Second Jungle Book has enchanted readers of all ages with its timeless tales of adventure and intrigue. Its enduring popularity is a testament to Kipling's masterful storytelling and his ability to capture the imagination of readers around the world.
The Caleighs have had a terrible year... They need time and space, while they await the news they dread. Gabe has brought his wife, Eve, and daughters, Loren and Cally, down to Devon, to the peaceful seaside village of Hollow Bay. He can work and Eve and the kids can have some peace and quiet and perhaps they can try, as a family, to come to terms with what's happened to them.
Crickley Hall is an unusually large house on the outskirts of the village at the bottom of Devil's Cleave, a massive tree-lined gorge - the stuff of local legend. A river flows past the front garden. It's perfect for them... if it a bit gloomy. And Chester, their dog, seems really spooked at being away from home.
Old houses do make sounds. It's constantly cold. And even though they shut the cellar door every night, it's always open again in the morning. The Secret of Crickley Hall explores the darker, more obtuse territories of evil and the supernatural. With brooding menace and rising tension, the reader is drawn through to the ultimate revelation – one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside.
The Complete Tales is a delightful collection that brings together all 23 of Beatrix Potter's beloved tales in one deluxe volume, complete with their original illustrations. These charming stories are presented in the order of their original publication, allowing readers to enjoy them in their proper sequence.
This special edition also includes four additional works by Beatrix Potter that were not published during her lifetime, offering a rare glimpse into her creative world.
Beautifully reissued with a newly designed slipcase and jacket, this collection makes for a truly stunning gift.
Magic, madam, is like wine and, if you are not used to it, it will make you drunk. Faerie is never as far away as you think. Sometimes you find you have crossed an invisible line and must cope, as best you can, with petulant princesses, vengeful owls, ladies who pass their time embroidering terrible fates, or with endless paths in deep, dark woods and houses that never appear the same way twice.
The heroines and heroes bedevilled by such problems in these fairy tales include a conceited Regency clergyman, an eighteenth-century Jewish doctor, and Mary, Queen of Scots, as well as two characters from Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: Strange himself and the Raven King.
This enchanting collection of stories from Susanna Clarke invites readers into a world where charm is always tempered by eerieness, and picaresque comedy is always darkened by the disturbing shadow of Faerie.
When Colonel Protheroe is found dead from a single gun shot wound to the head, none of his neighbors in the village of St. Mary Mead is much surprised.
So many people wished this local official would say farewell, if not quite so permanently. With suspects abound and the local police stymied, it is up to Miss Jane Marple to root out the killer.
‘Anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe,’ declared the parson, brandishing a carving knife above a joint of roast beef, ‘would be doing the world at large a favour!’ It was a careless remark for a man of the cloth. And one which was to come back and haunt the clergyman just a few hours later – when the colonel was found shot dead in the clergyman’s study. But as Miss Marple soon discovers, the whole village seems to have had a motive to kill Colonel Protheroe.
Three Guineas is written as a series of letters in which Virginia Woolf explores the complex interconnections between gender, war, and intellectual freedom. The book is structured around three requests for a donation of a guinea: one for a women's college building fund, another for a society promoting professional women, and a third to help prevent war and protect culture and intellectual liberty.
Woolf's response is a profound meditation on the state of women's education and employment in the 1930s, questioning why education for women is so poorly supported and why women are discouraged from professional careers. She challenges the liberal orthodoxies of her time and presents discomforting arguments about the relationship between gender and violence.
This work is a pacifist-feminist essay whose message continues to resonate in contemporary global issues, making it a classic in feminist literature.
Pulled down from the clouds at the end of a kite string, Mary Poppins is back. In Mary’s care, the Banks children meet the King of the Castle and the Dirty Rascal, visit the upside-down world of Mr. Turvy and his bride, Miss Topsy, and spend a breathless afternoon above the park, dangling from a clutch of balloons.
In this extraordinary book, Alexander Masters has created a moving portrait of a troubled man, an unlikely friendship, and a desperate world few ever see. A gripping who-done-it journey back in time, it begins with Masters meeting a drunken Stuart lying on a sidewalk in Cambridge, England, and leads through layers of hell…back through crimes and misdemeanors, prison and homelessness, suicide attempts, violence, drugs, juvenile halls and special schools–to expose the smiling, gregarious thirteen-year-old boy who was Stuart before his long, sprawling, dangerous fall.
Shocking, inspiring, and hilarious by turns, Stuart: A Life Backwards is a writer’s quest to give voice to a man who, beneath his forbidding exterior, has a message for us all: that every life–even the most chaotic and disreputable–is a story worthy of being told.
Doing It is a daringly honest and often hilarious account of contemporary teenage life, penned by the award-winning author Melvin Burgess. This controversial novel, which inspired the cult favorite ABC television series Life as We Know It, takes readers on a rollercoaster ride through the ups and downs of teenage sexuality.
Meet Dino, Jon, and Ben, three teenage best friends who can't stop thinking about, talking about, and hoping to experience sex. As they navigate the tumultuous waters of adolescence, they confront the confusions, fears, and joys of discovering their own sexuality.
With its bold exploration of teenage desires and the humorous yet poignant portrayal of friendship, Doing It is a must-read for anyone looking to delve into the intricate world of adolescent male sexuality.
The Voyage Out is Virginia Woolf's first novel, offering a haunting exploration of a young woman's mind. Join Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose and their niece, Rachel, on a sea journey from London to the South American coast. This is not just any voyage; it is a voyage into the depths of the soul, capturing the mysteries and complexities of the inner life.
Rachel Vinrace, a young girl innocent and wholly ignorant of the world of politics, society, books, sex, love, and marriage, embarks on this journey. She encounters Terence Hewet, an aspiring writer, and her greatest discovery will be her own self.
Woolf began work on The Voyage Out by 1910 and completed it by 1912. The novel had a long and difficult gestation and was finally published in 1915. The resultant work contained the seeds of all that would blossom in her later work: the innovative narrative style, the focus on feminine consciousness, sexuality, and death.
Cold Comfort Farm is a wickedly funny portrait of British rural life in the 1930s. Flora Poste, a recently orphaned socialite, moves in with her country relatives, the gloomy Starkadders of Cold Comfort Farm, and becomes enmeshed in a web of violent emotions, despair, and scheming, until Flora manages to set things right.
When Joe Beck, a fifteen-year-old suburban kid, gets lost in a disreputable neighborhood on his way to an appointment in London, he is struck dumb by his first sight of beautiful and seemingly innocent Candy. She talks with him, teases him, but reveals nothing about herself except her phone number.
Later, they have a perfect day at the London Zoo, and soon Joe is as addicted to Candy as she is to heroin, in spite of the threats of her menacing pimp, Iggy. Almost nothing matters except his desire to free her from her terrible life—not his band's chance for a recording contract, not the song he has written for her that has become a hit without him.
But there is something that still matters to him, and when he rescues the young prostitute from her sordid rooming house and takes her into hiding to sweat out her addiction, Iggy finds and uses that one thing that is stronger than Joe's passion for Candy, in a heart-thumping, breathless conclusion.
Hangover Square captures the edgy, obsessive, and eventually murderous mindset of a romantically frustrated British man in this WWII-era novel.
London 1939, and in the grimy publands of Earls Court, George Harvey Bone is pursuing a helpless infatuation with Netta who is cool, contemptuous, and hopelessly desirable to George. George is adrift in hell until something goes click in his head, and he realizes that he must kill her.
The Complete James Herriot is a delightful collection of eight books by the beloved author, James Herriot. This series, All Creatures Great and Small, takes you on a journey through the charming and sometimes challenging world of veterinary practice in the Yorkshire Dales.
Join Herriot as he encounters a variety of animals and their equally intriguing owners. Each story is filled with wit, humor, and heartfelt moments that will captivate readers of all ages. Whether you're an animal lover or simply enjoy a good tale, this collection is sure to entertain and inspire.
Michael Harrison had it all: good looks, charm, natural leadership, a wicked sense of humor, and now, Ashley, his fiancée. While out celebrating with a group of friends a few nights before the wedding, Michael suddenly and unexpectedly finds himself enclosed in a coffin equipped only with a flashlight, a dirty magazine, a walkie-talkie, and a tiny breathing tube.
It's all in good fun — payback for the grief his mates suffered due to his own penchant for tomfoolery — that is until the four are killed in a drunk driving accident just moments after leaving Michael completely alone and buried alive.
Detective Superintendent Grace—himself dealing with the pain of losing his wife—is brought on to the case when Ashley reports Michael missing. Suspicions are raised when Michael's only friend not at the bachelor party refuses to cooperate, and Ashley's faithfulness—not to mention her increasingly mysterious past—are suddenly thrown into question. As Superintendent Grace soon discovers, one man's disaster is another man's fortune.
The Wind in the Willows is a story about a group of animal friends living along the banks of a river in England -- the soft-spoken and naive Mole, the strong-willed and determined Water Rat, the grouchy hermit Badger, and the egocentric and spoiled Toad. When Mole ventures out of his burrow and befriends the other animals, he finds himself being swept up in a series of adventures, from a dangerous trek through the weasel-infested Wild Wood to trying to keep Toad's sudden obsession with motor-cars from wrecking his life.
And when Toad's reckless ways end up costing him his own home, the four animals find themselves banding together to come to his aid. Key features of this book include: This is an unabridged reprint of the original manuscript; available in multiple formats: eBook, original paperback, large print paperback, hardcover, and audiobook; properly formatted for aesthetics and ease of reading.
About the Book: Originally published in 1908 with 12 chapters and approximately 59,000 words, this book is great for schools, teachers, and students, or for the casual reader, and makes a wonderful addition to any classic literary library.
About Us: At Pure Snow Publishing, we have been publishing classic books since 2014. With 200+ book titles, and more than 34,000 books sold, we specialize in publishing classic books. We take the time and care necessary to format your book properly to make it the best possible reading experience. Enjoy!
One summer night, when Dumbledore arrives at Privet Drive to collect Harry Potter, his wand hand is blackened and shriveled, but he does not reveal why.
Rumors and suspicion spread through the wizarding world – it feels as if even Hogwarts itself might be under threat.
Harry is convinced that Malfoy bears the Dark Mark: could there be a Death Eater amongst them?
He will need powerful magic and true friends as, with the help of Dumbledore, he investigates Voldemort’s darkest secrets.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, commonly known as Alice in Wonderland, is an 1865 English children's novel by Lewis Carroll. A young girl named Alice falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatures. It is seen as an example of the literary nonsense genre.
One of the best-known works of Victorian literature, its narrative, structure, characters, and imagery have had a huge influence on popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre. Alice lives an ordinary life, until the day she follows the White Rabbit down, down, down a rabbit hole. She suddenly finds herself in an enchanted world, surrounded by zany creatures like the Mad Hatter, the Duchess, and the Cheshire Cat. Alice is delighted to find that nothing in Wonderland is the least bit ordinary.
Ronald Psmith ("the ‘p’ is silent, as in pshrimp") is always willing to help a damsel in distress. So when he sees Eve Halliday without an umbrella during a downpour, he nobly offers her an umbrella, even though it’s one he picks out of the Drone Club’s umbrella rack.
Psmith is so besotted with Eve that, when Lord Emsworth, her new boss, mistakes him for Ralston McTodd, a poet, Psmith pretends to be him so he can make his way to Blandings Castle and woo her.
And so the farce begins: criminals disguised as poets with a plan to steal a priceless diamond necklace, a secretary who throws flower pots through windows, and a nighttime heist that ends in gunplay. How will everything be sorted out? Leave it to Psmith!
The Man Who Would Be King is literature’s most famous adventure story, penned by the renowned Rudyard Kipling. This stirring tale follows two happy-go-lucky British ne’er-do-wells as they attempt to carve out their own kingdom in the remote mountains of Afghanistan. Amidst its raucous humor and swashbuckling bravado, the story offers a devastatingly astute dissection of imperialism and its heroic pretensions.
Written when Kipling was only 22 years old, the novella features some of his most crystalline prose and one of the most beautifully rendered, spectacularly exotic settings he ever used. Best of all, it features two of his most unforgettable characters, the ultra-vivid Cockneys Peachy Carnahan and Daniel Dravot, who impart to the story its ultimate, astonishing twist: it is both a tragedy and a triumph.
This novella is part of the Art of The Novella Series by Melville House, celebrating this renegade art form beloved by literature's greatest writers.