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The Ottoman Secret
by Raymond Khoury'The best what-if thriller for a long, long time' LEE CHILD 'An alternative history tale that will blow your mind. A story strung along the centuries that is thoroughly engrossing and one you will long remember' DAVID BALDACCI The Ottoman Secret is a sweeping thriller which will captivate fans of Man in the High Castle, Fatherland and The Handmaid's Tale_________PARIS 2017. THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE HAS RULED EUROPE FOR OVER 300 YEARSAs a respected special investigator for the state police, Kamal Agha is committed to keeping the empire safe from threats inside and out. But these are dangerous times. Under the sultan's autocratic regime, no one is beyond suspicion.When a naked man covered in tattoos appears on the banks of the Seine and murders a passerby, Kamal is tasked with tracking him down. But asking too many questions can be a highly risky endeavour - especially when the mysterious man's trail leads Kamal to a secret buried deep in the empire's past, a secret that goes to the very core of the empire's success. A secret the sultan and his security services will do anything to silence. Kamal is forced to question his own loyalty when his own family attracts unwelcome attention from the security services. Soon, he has no choice but to flee. But on the run from the all-seeing organisation where he built his reputation, can he save himself and his family?And, if he does, what might that mean for the existence of the Empire itself? Its past, its present and its future ...__________'A tour de force of storytelling and concept. Thrilling, disturbing, inspiring, it left me all too often in awe' JAMES ROLLINS'The Ottoman Secret is a masterpiece. A compelling saga, on a grand scale. A stellar epic' STEVE BERRY
Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun
by Guillermo del Toro Cornelia FunkeThis enthralling novel, inspired by the 2006 film, illustrates that fantasy is the sharpest tool to explore the terrors and miracles of the human heartYou shouldn't come in here. You could get lost. It has happened before. I'll tell you the story one day, if you want to hear it. In fairy tales, there are men and there are wolves, there are beasts and dead parents, there are girls and forests. Ofelia knows all this, like any young woman with a head full of stories. And she sees right away what the Capitán is, in his immaculate uniform, boots and gloves, smiling: a wolf.But nothing can prepare her for the fevered reality of the Capitán's eerie house, in the midst of a dense forest which conceals many things: half-remembered stories of lost babies; renegade resistance fighters hiding from the army; a labyrinth; beasts and fairies.There is no one to keep Ofelia safe as the labyrinth beckons her into her own story, where the monstrous and the human are inextricable, where myths pulse with living blood ...
Penguin Readers Level 3: Dracula (Penguin Readers Ser.penguin Readers Series)
by Bram StokerPenguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. Each title includes carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises. The eBook edition does not include access to additional online resources.Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content.The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary.Visit the Penguin Readers websiteExclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys. Jonathan Harker visits a castle in Transylvania to help a man named Count Dracula to buy a house in England. While he is there, he discovers many terrible things about the count. As strange things begin to happen in England, Jonathan sees that Count Dracula must be stopped!
Postmodern Vampires: Film, Fiction, and Popular Culture
by Sorcha Ní FhlainnPostmodern Vampires: Film, Fiction, and Popular Culture is the first major study to focus on American cultural history from the vampire’s point of view. Beginning in 1968, Ní Fhlainn argues that vampires move from the margins to the centre of popular culture as representatives of the anxieties and aspirations of their age. Mapping their literary and screen evolution on to the American Presidency, from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump, this essential critical study chronicles the vampire’s blood-ties to distinct socio-political movements and cultural decades in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Through case studies of key texts, including Interview with the Vampire, The Lost Boys, Blade, Twilight, Let Me In, True Blood and numerous adaptations of Dracula, this book reveals how vampires continue to be exemplary barometers of political and historical change in the American imagination. It is essential reading for scholars and students in Gothic and Horror Studies, Film Studies, and American Studies, and for anyone interested in the articulate undead.
Pursuit
by Joyce Carol OatesFrom Joyce Carol Oates, literary icon and author of Blonde, now a major motion picture, an eerie, psychologically complex thriller about a woman haunted by her traumatic past.As a child, Abby had the same nightmare night after night, in which she wandered through a field ridden with human bones. Now an adult, Abby thinks she's outgrown her demons, until, the evening before her wedding, the terrible dream returns and forces her to confront the dark secrets she is keeping from her new husband, Willem.The following day, less than 24 hours after exchanging vows, Abby steps out into traffic. As his wife lies in her hospital bed, Willem tries to determine whether this was an absentminded accident or a premeditated plunge.Slowly, Abby begins to open up to her husband, revealing to him what she has never shared with anyone before: the story of a terrified mother; a jealous, drug addled father; and a daughter's terrifying captivity.With a suspenseful, alternating narrative that travels between the present and Abby's tortured childhood, Pursuit is a meticulously crafted, deeply disquieting tale that showcases Oates's masterful storytelling.Reviews for Joyce Carol Oates:'A writer of extraordinary strengths.' Guardian 'Oates chillingly depicts the darkness lurking within the everyday.' Sunday Express 'Both haunting and sublime.' Literary Review 'Splendidly chilling.' Financial Times 'Visceral, psychologically involving, and socially astute.' Booklist
A Quaint and Curious Volume: Tales And Poems Of The Gothic
by Sarah PerryIntroduced by Sarah Perry, the best-selling author of The Essex Serpent. Uncanny. Mysterious. Eerie. Gothic. It draws us in with its air of mystery and repels us with its violence and darkness. But who were the first practitioners of the now-prevalent genre?
Rise of the Ghostfather (Spectre Collectors)
by Barry HutchisonIn their third and final spooky adventure, Denzel and his friends face the biggest, baddest ghost of all: The Ghostfather. He's making a comeback, and he needs Denzel's help, whether he likes it or not. . .Look out for other titles in the Spectre Collectors series:Spectre Collectors: Too Ghoul for SchoolSpectre Collectors: A New York Nightmare!
The Rising: The Newsflesh Trilogy
by Mira GrantNow, for the first time, Mira Grant's complete New York Times bestselling NEWSFLESH trilogy is available in a single volume."Alive or dead, the truth won't rest. My name is Georgia Mason, and I am begging you. Rise up while you can."The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.Now, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives - the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.The Rising includes Feed, Deadline, and Blackout.NewsfleshFeedDeadlineBlackoutFeedbackNewsflesh Short Fiction CollectionRise
The Rising: The Newsflesh Trilogy
by Mira GrantNow, for the first time, Mira Grant's complete New York Times bestselling NEWSFLESH trilogy is available in a single volume."Alive or dead, the truth won't rest. My name is Georgia Mason, and I am begging you. Rise up while you can."The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.Now, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives -- the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.
The Ruthless (The Deathless Trilogy #2)
by Peter NewmanReturn to a world of crystal armour, savage wilderness, and corrupt dynasties in book two of The Deathless series from Gemmell award-winning author Peter Newman.
The Savior (Black Dagger Brotherhood #Vol. 17)
by J. R. Ward'Utterly absorbing and deliciously erotic' Angela Knight'Hot, sexy, unique, intriguingly wicked' Christine FeehanThe Black Dagger Brotherhood is back. _______________A vampire and a scientist's fates are passionately entwined in a race against time . . . In the venerable history of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, only one male has ever been expelled - but Murhder's insanity gave the Brothers no choice. Haunted by visions of a female he could not save, he nonetheless returns to Caldwell on a mission to right the wrong that ruined him. However, he is not prepared for what he must face in his quest for redemption.Dr. Sarah Watkins, researcher at a biomedical firm, is struggling with the loss of her fiancé. When the FBI starts asking about his death, she questions what really happened and soon learns the terrible truth: her firm is conducting inhumane experiments in secret and the man she thought she knew and loved was involved in the torture.As Murhder and Sarah's destinies become irrevocably entwined, desire ignites between them. But can they forge a future that spans the divide separating the two species? And as a new foe emerges in the war against the vampires, will Murhder return to his Brothers... or resume his lonely existence forevermore?_______________Find out why readers are OBSESSED with the Black Dagger Brotherhood...'Insanely good! . . . Intensely romantic and straight up flipping steamy, violent and gruesome, heartbreaking and deep. Her addictive writing tells a story like none other' Goodreads reviewer'I can't get enough of these sexy, tough, intriguing vampires' Amazon reviewer'Emotional by epic proportions' Kobo reviewer'The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a twisting, often surprising, but always awesome read' Amazon reviewer'A must read' Goodreads reviewer'The story had me captivated the whole way' Kobo reviewer'Each and every character is compelling' Amazon reviewer
The Scorched Earth
by Rachael BlokNothing stays buried forever... 'A blistering mystery' Erin Kelly 'Supremely atmospheric' Daily Mail 'Gripping and original' Clare EmpsonTwo years ago, Ben Fenton went camping for the night with his brother Leo. When Ben woke up, he was drenched in blood, and his brother had gone. Days later, Ben was facing a charge of murder.Ben's girlfriend, Ana Seabrook, has always maintained Ben's innocence. And now, on the hottest day of a sweltering heat wave, a body has been unearthed in Ana's village. A body that might be Leo's.DCI Jansen is sure that Ana has something to hide. Will her secrets stay buried forever? Or can Jansen bring them to light?Praise for Rachael Blok: 'A blistering mystery; the dark secrets lurking in the short summer shadows kept me turning the pages long into the night' Erin Kelly'You will suspect everyone in this unbearably tense tale of betrayal and revenge' A.S. Hatch'Poetic writing with an eerie suspense that builds with each page' Nikky Mackay'Beautifully told, the stifling heat and tension crackle through every page' Victoria Selman'This atmospheric tale of guilty secrets revealed during a scorching summer is twisty, evocative and suspenseful' Roz Watkins'Assured and compelling... The author is as deft about human relationships as she is about creating an increasingly foreboding atmosphere' Elly Griffiths
The Secret of Cold Hill: From the Number One Bestselling Author of the DS Roy Grace Series (House On Cold Hill Ser. #2)
by Peter JamesFrom the number one bestselling author, Peter James, comes The Secret of Cold Hill. The spine-chilling follow-up to The House on Cold Hill. Now a smash-hit stage play.Cold Hill House has been razed to the ground by fire, replaced with a development of ultra-modern homes. Gone with the flames are the violent memories of the house’s history, and a new era has begun.Although much of Cold Hill Park is still a construction site, the first two families move into their new houses. For Jason and Emily Danes, this is their forever home, and for Maurice and Claudette Penze-Weedell, it’s the perfect place to live out retirement. Despite the ever present rumble of cement mixers and diggers, Cold Hill Park appears to be the ideal place to live. But looks are deceptive and it’s only a matter of days before both couples start to feel they are not alone in their new homes.There is one thing that never appears in the estate agent brochures: nobody has ever survived beyond forty in Cold Hill House and no one has ever truly left . . .
Secrets of the Mist: A timeslip romance to warm your heart
by Kate RyderA gorgeous timeslip romance for fans of Kate Mosse, Diana Gabaldon and Barbara Erskine. Maddie is restless in London. She has friends, a job and a sort-of boyfriend, but something in her life is missing. Then she visits the ancient village of Walditch, deep in the Dorset countryside. Something stirs in her, and on a whim she buys a centuries-old cottage and moves there three months later. Her friends think she's crazy, but for Maddie it feels like coming home. Late at night in the cottage, Maddie hears strange noises and sees mist gathering indoors and out. When she starts investigating the cottage's history, she becomes drawn into the tragic story of a family who lived here 400 years ago. Meanwhile, Maddie starts to fall in love with a local carpenter – but he has a relationship already... Can Maddie solve the riddle of the past? What is her connection with the family that lived there so many years ago? And can she and her true love ever be together? Previously published as The Forgotten Promise. What readers are saying about Kate Ryder: 'Searingly emotional, compassionately told and wonderfully uplifting, this is one book you will remember long after the last page is turned' Julie Bonello, NetGalley. 'The author has a deft touch in handling emotion – her characters are totally sympathetic and believable, surprisingly and satisfyingly complex' Anne Williams, NetGalley. 'A fantastic read... If you are looking for some heat in these cold days of spring then look no further as this is the book for you. Warmth, romance and the Cornish breeze flow from these pages' Michelle Russell, NetGalley. 'Absolutely loved it: friendship, romance, family, scary stalker, wonderfully described scenery, a well written story – what more can one ask for?' Donna Orrock, Netgalley. 'Really enjoyed the characters and plot of this book' Jamie Dyer, NetGalley. 'I look forward to more from this author and maybe get to "visit" the Cornish cove again!?' Sharley Phillips, NetGalley. 'The storytelling in this book is first class... The final chapters are heartrending and poignant and maintain Cara and Oliver's authenticity' Jane Hunt, NetGalley.
Seven Ghosts
by null Chris PriestleyThe award-winning author of Tales of Terror stirs up old ghosts in this spine-tingling, multi-narrative horror. Jake and the other finalists in a writing competition have been invited to a stately house for a tour like no other. As their guide leads them through grand rooms, hidden nooks and magnificent grounds, they hear the stories of seven ghosts who haunt the halls. But strange shapes and shadows follow Jake as he journeys through the house and with each tale that Jake hears, he begins to feel more uneasy. All is not as it seems and soon Jake will discover that something is very, very wrong …Old ghosts are stirred-up for Halloween in this spine-tingling, multi-narrative horror. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 8+
The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna: A Novel
by Juliet Grames'You don't read this book, you live it' Erin Kelly If Stella Fortuna means 'lucky star,' then life must have a funny sense of humour. Everybody in the Fortuna family knows the story of how the beautiful, fiercely independent Stella, who refused to learn to cook and who swore she would never marry, has escaped death time and time again. From her childhood in Italy, to her adulthood in America, death has seemed to pursue Stella. She has been burned, eviscerated and bludgeoned; she has choked, nearly fallen out of a window, and on one occasion, her life was only saved by a typo. However, even the best-known stories still have secrets to reveal . . . and even after a century, Stella's is no exception. No woman survives seven or eight deaths without a reason. So, how did she? In a tale which spans nine decades, two continents, and one family's darkest, deepest-buried truths, the answer awaits. . ._______________________________________'A sweeping story of immigration, family, betrayal and most importantly, one extraordinary woman. This book is gorgeous, harrowing and magical' Julie Cohen'Fresh and intriguing' Sabine Durrant'This is wonderful storytelling, seamlessly capturing the love and horror at the heart of family. Juliet Grames's novel . . . sits the reader down at a well-laden table, and offers a hugely satisfying feast. Delightful' Mick Herron'A beautifully painted portrait, majestic and masterful; a very fine novel indeed' Laura Carlin'Packed with family secrets and their repercussions, the novel memorably pins down the American immigrant experience. It's an impressive achievement' Daily Mail
A Shadow on the Lens
by Sam HurcomThe Postmaster looked over my shoulder. As I turned to look I saw a flicker of movement from across the street. I felt unseen eyes peer at me. He walked away without another word. I watched as he climbed onto his bicycle and sped away down the street. I turned back and looked over my shoulder. Someone had been watching us.1904. Thomas Bexley, one of the first forensic photographers, is called to the sleepy and remote Welsh village of Dinas Powys, several miles down the coast from the thriving port of Cardiff. A young girl by the name of Betsan Tilny has been found murdered in the woodland - her body bound and horribly burnt. But the crime scene appears to have been staged, and worse still: the locals are reluctant to help.As the strange case unfolds, Thomas senses a growing presence watching him, and try as he may, the villagers seem intent on keeping their secret. Then one night, in the grip of a fever, he develops the photographic plates from the crime scene in a makeshift darkroom in the cellar of his lodgings. There, he finds a face dimly visible in the photographs; a face hovering around the body of the dead girl - the face of Betsan Tilny.
Shivers (Devil's Advocates)
by Luke AspellShivers (1975) was David Cronenberg’s first commercial feature and his first horror film. In a modern apartment block, a scientific project to unleash the id results in the equation of passion with contagion and predation. Because the writer-director’s imaginative landscape arrived in the genre fully formed, the unique forms of this début have often been overlooked or mistaken for shortcomings. Cronenberg’s most comedic film until Map to the Stars, Shivers is also his most spectacularly unnerving, throwing more images of extreme behavior at us than any of his subsequent films; it remains, with Crash, his most disquieting and transgressive film to date. Luke Aspell’s analysis addresses all channels of communication available to the 35mm sync-sound narrative feature, including shot composition, lighting, cinematographic texture, sound, the use of stock music, editing, costume, makeup, optical work, the screenplay, the casting, and the direction of the actors. Attending to form the better to see the film in its context, this tour of Shivers as “cognitive territory” takes in architecture, cultural context, critical reception, and artistic legacy.
The Sing of the Shore
by Lucy WoodAn uncanny, startlingly beautiful story collection steeped in the Cornish landscape, from the award-winning author of Diving Belles and Other Stories and Weathering.
Six Stories collection
by Matt WesolowskiBOOKS ONE, TWO & THREE in the BESTSELLING Six Stories series!Elusive online journalist Scott King investigates a series of cold cases in his Six Stories podcasts, interviewing witnesses whose testimonies shed new light on unsolved cases … for fans of SerialBook ONE – Six StoriesWHSmith Fresh Talent Pick for Summer 2017One bodySix storiesWhich one is true?1997. Scarclaw Fell. The body of teenager Tom Jeffries is found at an outward bound centre. Verdict? Misadventure. But not everyone is convinced. And the truth of what happened in the beautiful but eerie fell is locked in the memories of the tight-knit group of friends who embarked on that fateful trip, and the flimsy testimony of those living nearby.2017. Enter elusive investigative journalist Scott King, whose podcast examinations of complicated cases have rivalled the success of Serial, with his concealed identity making him a cult internet figure.In a series of six interviews, King attempts to work out how the dynamics of a group of idle teenagers conspired with the sinister legends surrounding the fell to result in Jeffries’ mysterious death. And who’s to blame… As every interview unveils a new revelation, you’ll be forced to work out for yourself how Tom Jeffries died, and who is telling the truth.Book TWO – HydraA family massacreA deluded murderessFive witnessesSix StoriesWhich one is true?One cold November night in 2014, in a small town in the northwest of England, 21-year-old Arla Macleod bludgeoned her mother, stepfather and younger sister to death with a hammer, in an unprovoked attack known as the Macleod Massacre. Now incarcerated at a medium-security mental-health institution, Arla will speak to no one but Scott King, an investigative journalist, whose Six Stories podcasts have become an internet sensation.King finds himself immersed in an increasingly complex case, interviewing five key witnesses and Arla herself, as he questions whether Arla’s responsibility for the massacre was as diminished as her legal team made out.As he unpicks the stories, he finds himself thrust into a world of deadly forbidden ‘games’, online trolls, and the mysterious black-eyed kids, whose presence seems to extend far beyond the delusions of a murderess…Book THREE – ChangelingLONGLISTED for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year!!A missing childA family in denialSix witnessesSix storiesWhich one is true?On Christmas Eve in 1988, seven-year-old Alfie Marsden vanished in the dark Wentshire Forest Pass, when his father, Sorrel, stopped the car to investigate a mysterious knocking sound. No trace of the child, nor his remains, have ever been found. Alfie Marsden was declared officially dead in 1995.Elusive online journalist, Scott King, whose ‘Six Stories’ podcasts have become an internet sensation, investigates the disappearance, interviewing six witnesses, including Sorrel and his ex-partner, to try to find out what really happened that fateful night. Journeying through the trees of the Wentshire Forest – a place synonymous with strange sightings, and tales of hidden folk who dwell there, he talks to a company that tried and failed to build a development in the forest, and a psychic who claims to know what happened to the little boy…‘Frighteningly wonderful … one of the best books I’ve read in years’ Khurrum Rahman’A creepy, chilling read that is ridiculously difficult to put down’ Luca Veste‘Wonderfully horrifying … the suspense crackles’ James Oswald‘Original, inventive and dazzlingly clever’ Fiona Cummins
Smoke in the Glass: Immortals' Blood Book One (Immortal's Blood)
by Chris HumphreysA thrilling new dark fantasy series about immortality, war and survival, from the bestselling historical author Chris (CC) HumphreysThree lands, peopled by humans and immortals. In Corinthium a decadent endlessly-lived elite run the world for profit and power. But when a poor, honest solider dies, and is reborn, everything changes. In wintry Midgarth, where immortals are revered as deities, one of them has realized that something - or someone - is killing the gods. And in Ometepe there is only one immortal, for he has murdered every other. Until one woman gives birth to a very special baby.Yet there is a fourth, hidden land, where savage tribes have united under the prophecy of 'the One': a child who is neither boy nor girl. Now they plan to conquer the world. Unless a broken soldier, a desperate mother and a crippled god can stop them...
The Song of the Sycamore
by Edward CoxOn the broken world of Urdezha, Wendal Finn died on the hostile plains of the wasteland, one more casualty in the endless war between the city-dwellers and the clansfolk. But now Wendal has returned to his home city of Old Castle, possessed by something he brought back from the wasteland, something old and best left forgotten. The spirits are calling it Sycamore, an ancient entity out to avenge all victims of murder. And in a city like Old Castle, no one is innocent. With his mind trapped inside a dead body, Wendal can do nothing but watch as Sycamore turns him into a serial killer. Until the magicians take an interest in him. Preserving Wendal's body and trapping Sycamore inside it, the magicians now have the perfect assassin at their disposal. Whenever they need an enemy removed, they can set the killer loose on Old Castle. Between these moments of horror, Wendal struggles to piece together the remnants of his former life. He wants to know why his wife died while he was fighting in the war, but no one will tell him, no one wants him to know. Left to his own devices, Wendal picks at the scabs that cover the dark secrets of the magicians and reveals a threat to every city on Urdezha. The clans are massing. A supernatural storm is raging across the wasteland. It has already destroyed one city, and now it is heading for Old Castle. And the only one who might prevent oblivion is the murderous entity who the spirits are calling Sycamore.
Stalker: A Novel (Joona Linna #5)
by Lars KeplerYou thought you were alone. Think again. The groundbreaking fifth thriller in Lars Kepler’s bestselling series featuring Joona Linna. Perfect for fans of Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbo.
Stalker: A Novel (Joona Linna Ser. #5)
by Lars KeplerYou thought you were alone. Think again. The groundbreaking fifth thriller in Lars Kepler’s bestselling series featuring Joona Linna. Perfect for fans of Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbo.
Starve Acre: 'His best novel so far' The Times
by Andrew Michael HurleyThe worst thing possible has happened. Richard and Juliette Willoughby's son, Ewan, has died suddenly at the age of five. Starve Acre, their house by the moors, was to be full of life, but is now a haunted place.Juliette, convinced Ewan still lives there in some form, seeks the help of the Beacons, a seemingly benevolent group of occultists. Richard, to try and keep the boy out of his mind, has turned his attention to the field opposite the house, where he patiently digs the barren dirt in search of a legendary oak tree.Starve Acre is a devastating new novel by the author of the prize-winning bestseller The Loney. It is a novel about the way in which grief splits the world in two and how, in searching for hope, we can so easily unearth horror.