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The Black Cloud (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Fred HoyleA 1959 classic 'hard' science-fiction novel by renowned Cambridge astronomer and cosmologist Fred Hoyle. Tracks the progress of a giant black cloud that comes towards Earth and sits in front of the sun, causing widespread panic and death. A select group of scientists and astronomers - including the dignified Astronomer Royal, the pipe smoking Dr Marlowe and the maverick, eccentric Professor Kingsly - engage in a mad race to understand and communicate with the cloud, battling against trigger happy politicians. In the pacy, engaging style of John Wyndham and John Christopher, with plenty of hard science thrown in to add to the chillingly credible premise (he manages to foretell Artificial Intelligence, Optical Character Recognition and Text-to-Speech converters), Hoyle carries you breathlessly through to its thrilling end.
The Drop: A Slough House Novella
by Mick Herron'It is time Mick Herron was recognised in his own right as the best thriller writer in Britain today' Sunday ExpressOld spooks carry the memory of tradecraft in their bones, and when Solomon Dortmund sees an envelope being passed from one pair of hands to another in a Marylebone cafe, he knows he's witnessed more than an innocent encounter. But in relaying his suspicions to John Bachelor, who babysits retired spies like Solly, he sets in train events which will alter lives. Bachelor himself, a hair's breadth away from sleeping in his car, is clawing his way back to stability; Hannah Weiss, the double agent whose recruitment was his only success, is starting to enjoy the secrets and lies her role demands; and Lech Wicinski, an Intelligence Service analyst, finds that a simple favour for an old acquaintance might derail his career. Meanwhile, Lady Di Taverner is trying to keep the Service on an even keel, and if that means throwing the odd crew member overboard, well: collateral damage is her speciality.A drop, in spook parlance, is the passing on of secret information.It's also what happens just before you hit the ground.
Julian Fellowes's Belgravia Episode 3: Family Ties (Julian Fellowes's Belgravia Series #3)
by Julian FellowesLord and Lady Brockenhurst play host to some troublesome relatives while the Trenchards receive an unexpected invitation. Julian Fellowes's Belgravia is a story in 11 episodes published week by week in the tradition of Charles Dickens. Belgravia is the story of a secret. A secret that unravels behind the porticoed doors of London's grandest postcode. The story behind the secret will be revealed in weekly bite-sized instalments complete with twists and turns and cliff-hanger endings. Set in the 1840s when the upper echelons of society began to rub shoulders with the emerging industrial nouveau riche, Belgravia is peopled by a rich cast of characters. But the story begins on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. At the Duchess of Richmond's now legendary ball, one family's life will change for ever...Text only version.Facebook: JulianFellowesBelgraviaTwitter: @JFBelgraviaPinterest: /BelgraviaInstagram: @julianfellowesbelgravia
Julian Fellowes's Belgravia Episode 6: A Spy In Our Midst (Julian Fellowes's Belgravia Series #6)
by Julian FellowesOne man's good fortune sends rumours spreading through London society - what is the secret behind his success? Julian Fellowes's Belgravia is a story in 11 episodes published week by week in the tradition of Charles Dickens. Belgravia is the story of a secret. A secret that unravels behind the porticoed doors of London's grandest postcode. The story behind the secret will be revealed in weekly bite-sized instalments complete with twists and turns and cliff-hanger endings. Set in the 1840s when the upper echelons of society began to rub shoulders with the emerging industrial nouveau riche, Belgravia is peopled by a rich cast of characters. But the story begins on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. At the Duchess of Richmond's now legendary ball, one family's life will change for ever...Text only version.Facebook: JulianFellowesBelgraviaTwitter: @JFBelgraviaPinterest: /BelgraviaInstagram: @julianfellowesbelgravia
Julian Fellowes's Belgravia Episode 11: Inheritance (Julian Fellowes's Belgravia Series #11)
by Julian FellowesThe final episode - but will justice prevail? Julian Fellowes's Belgravia is a story in 11 episodes published week by week in the tradition of Charles Dickens. Belgravia is the story of a secret. A secret that unravels behind the porticoed doors of London's grandest postcode. The story behind the secret will be revealed in weekly bite-sized instalments complete with twists and turns and cliff-hanger endings. Set in the 1840s when the upper echelons of society began to rub shoulders with the emerging industrial nouveau riche, Belgravia is peopled by a rich cast of characters. But the story begins on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. At the Duchess of Richmond's now legendary ball, one family's life will change for ever...Text only version.Facebook: JulianFellowesBelgraviaTwitter: @JFBelgraviaPinterest: /BelgraviaInstagram: @julianfellowesbelgravia
Welcome to Monster High: The Junior Novel 6 (Monster High)
by Mattel UK LtdWelcome to Monster High! You know that Monster High is the most creeperific school in the world, but do you know how it came to be? It all started with a girl named Draculaura-the daughter of Dracula-who had a dream about creating a place where monsters could belong, get along, and be themselves. To make her dream come true, Draculaura and her best ghoulfriends went on fangtastic adventures around the world to recruit monsters to attend Monster High. But all was not perfectly monstrous at Monster High when a villainous zombie set out to ruin everything Draculaura and her friends worked so hard for. Can the ghouls save the day...and save Monster High?Includes 8-page full-colour insert.©2016 Mattel. All Rights Reserved.
A Treacherous Likeness
by Lynn ShepherdIn the dying days of 1850 the young detective Charles Maddox takes on a new case. His client? The only surviving son of the long-dead poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and his wife Mary, author of Frankenstein. Charles soon finds himself being drawn into the bitter battle being waged over the poet's literary legacy, but then he makes a chance discovery that raises new doubts about the death of Shelley's first wife, Harriet, and he starts to question whether she did indeed kill herself, or whether what really happened was far more sinister than suicide. As he's drawn deeper into the tangled web of the past, Charles discovers darker and more disturbing secrets, until he comes face to face with the terrible possibility that his own great-uncle is implicated in a conspiracy to conceal the truth that stretches back more than thirty years.The story of the Shelleys is one of love and death, of loss and betrayal. In this follow-up to the acclaimed Tom-All-Alone's, Lynn Shepherd offers her own fictional version of that story, which suggests new and shocking answers to mysteries that still persist to this day, and have never yet been fully explained.Praise for Tom-All-Alone's:A brilliant and sinister remake of Bleak House, exposing the vicious underworld of Victorian London. Totally gripping. - John Carey.Dickens' s world described with modern precision. - The Times. Beaitifully written... an absorbing read - Literary Review.A necessary eye for squalor, meticulous research and deft plotting make this a book... you'll be guaranteed to enjoy. - Guardian.
Tom-All-Alone's
by Lynn ShepherdThe story of Tom-All-Alone's takes place in the 'space between' two masterpieces of mid-Victorian fiction: Bleak House and The Woman in White - overlapping with them, and re-imagining them for a contemporary reader, with a modern understanding of the grimmer realities of Victorian society.Charles Maddox, dismissed from the police force, is working as a private detective and can only hope to follow in his uncle's formidable footsteps as an eminent thief-taker. On a cold and bright Autumn morning, a policeman calls on Charles at his lodgings with information that may be related to a case he is working on. He goes to a ruined cemetery to find a shallow grave containing the remains of four babies has been discovered. After examining them he concludes they are not related to his investigation, which is to find a young girl abandoned in a workhouse 16 years before, when her mother died. But all is not as it first appears. As he's drawn into another case at the behest of the eminent but feared lawyer, Edward Tulkinghorn, London's sinister underbelly begins to emerge. From the first gruesome murder, Charles has a race against time to establish the root of all evil.Tom's-All-Alone is 'Dickens but darker' - without the comedy, without the caricature, and a style all its own. The novel explores a dark underside of Victorian life that Dickens and Collins hinted at - a world in which young women are sexually abused, unwanted babies summarily disposed of, and those that discover the grim secrets of great men brutally eliminated.
One Shoe Two Shoes
by Caryl HartWith bright, bold illustrations, this stylish picture book features lots of shoes, ten white mice, and one adorable dog.One shoe, two shoes.Red shoes, blue shoes. Two shoes make a pair.Who's that hiding there? Shoes, shoes, and more shoes . . . this book is bursting shoes of all different colors, sizes, and shapes. There's a pair here to suit everyone--even a family of mice! Jolly, rhythmic text carries you playfully along in this delightfully stylish book that introduces colors and numbers in a gentle and fun way.
Twelfth Night: Critical Essays (Shakespearean Criticism)
by Stanley WellsOriginally published in 1986. Among the most frequently performed and high admired of Shakespeare’s plays, Twelfth Night is examined here in this collection of writings from well-known essayists and scholars. The chapters present to the modern reader discussions of the play to enhance understanding and study of both the text and performances. Opening essays address individual characters; then some accounts of its potential and theatrical reviews are included; finally followed by critical studies looking at various parts and themes. The editor’s introduction explains the usefulness of each chapter and gives an overview of the selection.
Towers of Silence: Sal Kilkenny #5 (Sal Kilkenny)
by Cath StaincliffeNo peace and goodwill to all men here in Manchester...It's the countdown to Christmas and Sal Kilkenny is exhausted even thinking about the festive season - her life as a single mother is hectic at the best of times. So when she is asked to investigate a suicide that a grieving family cannot come to terms with, she turns the case down.Eventually, and against her better judgement, Sal is persuaded to look into the woman's last hours and is appalled to discover how little the authorities had investigated her death. And why would a woman so petrified of heights choose to jump from the top of Manchester's Arndale Centre car park?Praise for Cath Staincliffe:'Gritty, intelligent, humane and involving' Big Issue'Deftly organised, with several surprising twists.' Evening Standard'An engrossing read.' Sunday Telegraph'Real people, real problems... Staincliffe writes brilliantly and compassionately about things that matter. Seriously good.' Literary Review'Modest, compassionate... a solid ingenious plotter with a sharp eye for domestic detail' Literary Review'Complex and satisfying' The Sunday Times'about as good as the British private eye novel gets' Time Out
Blood Warrior: Dragon Kings Book Two (Dragon Kings #2)
by Lindsey PiperTallis of Pendray's dreams are not his own. For decades he has suffered visions of a stunningly beautiful woman who uses his helpless desire for her body to force him into fulfilling her violent needs. His desperate craving has destroyed his family, his free will, and almost his sanity. When he finally tracks her down, he has one desire only: revenge. To her followers, Kavya of Indranan is a peaceful saviour. When Tallis steals her, he throws her clan, and the whole future of the Dragon Kings, into lethal disarray. In truth, Kavya shares little but a name in common with his avowed enemy, and with her bloodthirsty, lethally powerful brother out for their blood, time is running out for them - and for their species. There is one chance left. Suspicious, tortured Tallis must learn to trust Kavya - he must give everything, including his heart, to protect her - otherwise a war will come that will destroy them, and their kind, forever...
The Prey
by Tony ParkCameron McMurtrie is a man who doesn't like interference in his work. So when Kylie Hamilton, an Australian executive working for the international mining company Global Resources, is sent to South Africa to investigate a new site on the edge of the Kruger National Park, Cameron is less than welcoming. But when a group of illegal miners - men with nothing to lose, led by a man intent on destroying Cameron - kidnap one of Global Resources' employees, Cameron is forced into action - and collaboration. In such tense circumstances, Kylie and Cameron find that their mutual dislike evolves into solidarity, perhaps even something more. If they work together there is a chance they can save the kidnapped man.
The Fallen Children
by David OwenOne cover. 360 different colours. Which one will you get?'A powerful and disturbing new take on an original classic' Tim Bowler, author of Carnegie Medal-winner River Boy'I loved this book . . . Pacy, gripping, intriguing [and] poignant' Alice Oseman, author of Solitaire and Radio SilenceYoung people on the Midwich Estate don't have much hope for their futures. Keisha has lived there her whole life, and has been working hard to escape it; others have just accepted their lot.But change is coming . . .One night, everyone inside Midwich Tower falls mysteriously unconscious in one inexplicable 'Nightout'. No one can explain what happened during those lost hours, but soon afterwards Keisha and three other girls find they're pregnant - and the babies are growing at an alarming rate.As the news spreads around the tower, its residents turns against them and the situation spirals toward violence. Keisha's life unravels as she realises that the pregnancy may not have just ruined her hopes for the future: she might be mother to the end of the world.The Fallen Children is a story of violation, of judgment and of young people who must fight to defy what is expected of them.The Fallen Children has one cover design but 360 different colourways. Each one is numbered from 1 to 360 on the spine. The colour you receive will be completely random.'THE FALLEN CHILDREN is ATTACK THE BLOCK meets VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED and feels like the London I know. It's very cool' - Juno Dawson'An ingenious twist on a classic. Surprisingly tender and moving, completely convincing and gripping' - Kiran Millwood Hargrave'Read THE FALLEN CHILDREN if you'd like less middle-class kidlit, allegorical commentary on society and teens, and dead good books' - Non Pratt
A Dual Inheritance: A Novel
by Joanna HershonAutumn 1962: Ed Cantowitz and Hugh Shipley meet in their final year at Harvard. Ed is far removed from Hugh's privileged upbringing as a Boston Brahmin, yet his drive and ambition outpace Hugh's ambivalence about his own life. These two young men form an unlikely friendship, bolstered by a fierce shared desire to transcend their circumstances. But in just a few short years, not only do their paths diverge-one rising on Wall Street, the other becoming a kind of global humanitarian-but their friendship ends abruptly, with only one of them understanding why.Can a friendship define your view of the world? Spanning from the Cuban Missile Crisis to the present-day stock market collapse, with locations as diverse as Dar es Salaam, Boston, Shenzhen, and Fishers Island, A Dual Inheritance asks this question, as it follows not only these two men, but the complicated women in their vastly different lives. And as Ed and Hugh grow further and further apart, they remain uniquely-even surprisingly-connected.
Racists
by Kunal Basu1855: the most ambitious experiment in race science begins on a deserted island, where two infants, a black boy and a white girl, are raised together in the wilderness.1855: the most ambitious eugenics experiment begins on a deserted Mediterranean island, pitting a British craniologist, Dr Samuel Bates against his French rival, Jean-Louis Belavoix. Two infants, a black boy and a white girl, are raised on the island by a dumb nurse (Norah), away from all human contact but monitored twice yearly by Bates, Belavoix and their assistant, Nicholas Quartley to study their development.Bates claims the white child would show signs of natural superiority, while Belavoix claims the two races would be equal, with each side showing the urge to conquer and ultimately destroy, the other. Bates and Belavoix turn into rivals for Norah's attention but she and Quartley are secretly in love, which fuels even more intense competition between the three men. Doubts surface in London over the scientist's real intentions at a time when Darwin's evolution theories begin to emerge. Soon, Captain Perry, responsible for supplying a ferry service to the island, agrees to help Norah and Quartley escape with the children; however, before Perry returns to the island to rescue them, an 'accident' turns their reunion into tragedy.
The Miniaturist
by Kunal Basu'A tale of immense originality and intrigue. The Miniaturist is every bit as perfect and detailed as a Mughal painting should be. Well crafted in all its details of colour and texture, it is an intensely passionate creation' ObserverSet in the court of the Emperor Akbar in 16th-century India, this is a richly detailed and sensuous tale of art, sex and political intrigue. Bihzad is the son of the emperor's chief artist and as such, he is groomed to follow in his father's footsteps. A child prodigy, Bihzad is shielded from life as he grows up in the stunning fortress town of Agra. But soon word of his talent - his wild, imaginative drawings free from the normal restrictions of court painting - spreads. When the emperor decides to move the court to Fatehpur Sikri, Bihzad is favoured among the other artists and musicians. In his spare time he paints a series of richly, erotic scenes. But as his fame increases, he begins to make enemies who are jealous of his success and who will use his hidden drawings to destroy him.
Tom Jones (Modern Plays)
by Ross EricsonAll the girls love a bastard.Tom Jones follows the adventures of a young man of illegitimate birth through a tale of love, deception and mistaken identity; a feast of human nature, served up in the plain and simple manner of the West Country with all the high French and Italian seasoning of sex and vice. Will he gain his darling Sophia's hand? Will he escape the hangman's noose? Will he ever learn to keep it in his trousers…?Henry Fielding's comic picaresque novel 'A History Of Tom Jones, a foundling' caused a stir upon first publication in 1749. Often referred to as the first novel in the English language, this cunning new stage version tells the escapades and exploits of the infamous protagonist through an accessible and highly entertaining adaptation.
Tom Jones (Modern Plays)
by Ross EricsonAll the girls love a bastard.Tom Jones follows the adventures of a young man of illegitimate birth through a tale of love, deception and mistaken identity; a feast of human nature, served up in the plain and simple manner of the West Country with all the high French and Italian seasoning of sex and vice. Will he gain his darling Sophia's hand? Will he escape the hangman's noose? Will he ever learn to keep it in his trousers…?Henry Fielding's comic picaresque novel 'A History Of Tom Jones, a foundling' caused a stir upon first publication in 1749. Often referred to as the first novel in the English language, this cunning new stage version tells the escapades and exploits of the infamous protagonist through an accessible and highly entertaining adaptation.
Bathinda to Bangkok
by Vibha BatraIs it going to be Mahi Way, or the Highway for Mahi? Mahi's back in the pavilion, but, ji, her dreams got mixed with mud. Hopes got crushum-crushed. Heart became pieces-pieces. As if life isn't tatti enough, one after another new-new siyapas are starting. Mahi's hungry to grow Ludhiana to London, her party-planning company, to international height. Lavith, her international returned ex-love, is thirsty for her blood. Leave work-life balance, she's toh losing mental balance.Her BFF (Bechari Frustoo Friend) Dingy's to-be-in-laws are refusing first night in Bangkok. Her other BFF, Dumpy's refusing to go anywhere without his Combo Pack -- his Sweet Knife GF Simran and her paindu brother Raj. Her brother Niku's business problem is not saying bye-bye. And her stepmom Bhooto (short for Bhootni) is – hai-hai – don't ask. But the question bothering her the most is: Will her ex come back to her? Will it be Lav-ith or Leave-it for Mahi?
Room in our Hearts and Other Stories
by K L ChowdhuryThese are the tales of our times, of ordinary people, their joys and sorrows, their hopes and fears, their beliefs and doubts, and their desire to get along in life in spite of multiple challenges. Of people who have been uprooted from their homes and are trying to find their moorings again, of the people they left behind, and of the unbreakable bonds that connect them in spite of the forces of disruption and discord.KL Chowdhury draws upon his experiences as a physician and a keen observer of people to present this colourful bouquet. The author's sympathetic eye and humanity shine through each of these stories.The duality of human nature-the good and bad, the indulgence and indifference, the trust and skepticism, the love and hatred-resonates in all the stories and make Room in Our Hearts a riveting read.KL Chowdhury's first two volumes of short stories-Faith and Frenzy and Why Don't You Convert?-have won much critical acclaim, and this third collection is even finer.
Next Top Villain: A School Story, Book 1 (Ever After High)
by Suzanne SelforsA brand-new series of school stories from the world of Ever After High.Duchess Swan and Lizzie Hearts are roommates at Ever After High. While their personalities are very different, they bond over not quite fitting in with the other Royals. Lizzie, however, has one thing that Duchess doesn't: a happily-ever-after at the end of her story. While Lizzie and the other princesses train for the day when they will rule their kingdoms, Duchess is torn between her role as the perfect, dutiful princess and her rebellious ambition to be a queen. When both girls are selected to attend General Villainy class, Duchess sees an opportunity to be a rebel while following the rules. But can she play a prank on her roomie to ace the class? Find out if Duchess' desire to change her destiny will make her Ever After High's Next Top Villain!Don't miss the companion Destiny Do-Over Diary, General Villainy, for interactive fun!
Haunted: The Junior Novel 1 (Monster High)
by Perdita FinnWhen Spectra Vondergeist goes back to her old ghost school to find out why Monster High is being haunted, the other girls use Boogey Sand to transform into ghosts so they can follow her. There, they die-scover that spirits are low because the Principal weighs students down with ghastly rules and detention chains. It's up to the ghouls and their new ghost friends to uncover the mystery of the hauntings and the secrets of the ghost school!Based on the fangtastic Monster High movie: Haunted! Contains eight pages of full-colour images in addition to the story. Don't miss the other books based on Monster High movies: Frights, Camera, Action and Freaky Fusion.
While England Sleeps: A Novel
by David LeavittSet against the rise of fascism in 1930s Europe, WHILE ENGLAND SLEEPS tells the story of the love affair between Brian Botsford, an upper-class young writer, and Edward Phelan, an idealistic, self-educated employee of the London Underground and a member of the Communist party. Though by far the better educated of the two Brian is also more callow, convinced that his homosexuality is something he will outgrow. Edward, on the other hand, possesses 'an unproblematic capacity to accept' both Brian and the unorthodox nature of their love for each other - until one day, at the urging of his wealthy aunt Constance, Brian agrees to be set up with a 'suitable' young woman...and soon enough Edward is pushed to the point of crisis. Fleeing, he volunteers to fight in Spain, where he ends up in prison. Brian, responsible for Edward's flight, must pursue him across Europe, into the violent chaos of war.
The Hot Zone: Rainshadow Island: Book 3 (Harmony #3)
by Jayne CastleHalloween-with its tricks and treats-is a dust bunny's dream come true. Just ask Lyle, Sedona Snow's faithful sidekick. But for Sedona, it's a nightmare. Though her new job managing a small hotel and tavern on Rainshadow is helping her move on from her tragic past, a bizarre disaster down in the catacombs has brought a pack of rowdy ghost hunters to her inn. And now, Sedona's ex has arrived on the island, claiming he wants to get back together, just as a newcomer appears to have a strong interest in her. Cyrus Jones is the new Guild boss in town. He has his own agenda when it comes to Sedona, but even the best-laid plans are no match for the passion that springs up on Rainshadow...