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Band of Eagles: A thrilling tale of fighter pilots in World War Two
by Frank BarnardContinuing the brilliant World War Two fighter pilot series, this time the theatre of war is the incredible story of the Siege of Malta. By turns brutal, funny, tragic and heroic Band of Eagles is a spellbinding read, perfect for fans of Ken Follett and Robert Radcliffe. 'A gripping fusion of thrills and historical plausibility . . . a fine balance of freshness and authenticity' Telegraph Summer 1941. The tiny island of Malta has become the most bombed place on earth. The Germans and Italians want to destroy it. For the fighter pilots of the RAF, initially equipped with ageing Hurricanes and outnumbered in the air, defeat seems almost certain. Flight commanders Englishman Kit Curtis and American Ossie Wolf have survived the Fall of France and the Battle of Britain but Curtis remains idealistic and eager to prove himself. Wolf, by contrast, is ruthless and thrives in the chaos of imminent invasion. But as each man is tested to the limit, they come to share a fresh understanding. What readers are saying about Band of Eagles:'Beautiful writing. Superbly crafted work''A real treat. I strongly recommend this book to anyone with a love of compelling war stories and good story telling''Movingly told and backed up by impeccable research'
Breakout: A Parker Novel
by Richard StarkEven Parker makes mistakes. Locked up in a prison from which no one has ever escaped, it's only a matter of time before the law uncovers his real name - and his extensive criminal past. To get out, Parker must take on the only accomplices he can find - yet his fellow convicts demand a price: help with another job. Their plan has too many weak links. And Parker isn't a man who likes complications. But with a big potential payoff and no other options, Parker is willing to chance it, just this once.
Classic Robert B. Parker: Looking for Rachel Wallace; Promised Land (The Spenser Series #4)
by Robert B. ParkerTwo of the finest early Spenser mysteries in a single volume - this is Classic Robert B. Parker. Promised Land: Harvey Shepard's wife has run away. Spenser has been hired to find her. A seemingly easy mission: go to Cape Cod, find the missing woman, then sit back and enjoy the sun. But it seems there is more to this case than meets the eye. Who are the shady figures Pam Shepard has been seen with? And why does Harvey keep showing up with bruises? Both Pam and Harvey are in over their heads, and soon Spenser will be too.Looking for Rachel Wallace: Spenser is hired to protect outspoken feminist Rachel Wallace. Left-wing lesbian meets muscles and machismo. Chalk meets cheese. It is not long before Rachel fires him. Then she disappears. Spenser feels it is his duty to save her. And once he has made up his mind then no bigot, Klansman, or family will get in his way. He will not stop until he finds Rachel Wallace.'One of the great series in the history of the American detective story' New York Times
The Wives of Bath
by Wendy HoldenA tale of yummy mummies with flat brown tummies... Four parents-to-be seem ante-natally sorted. Flash Hugo and Amanda have booked a chic private clinic and royal maternity nurse. Right-on Jake and Alice want an all-natural home birth with whale music and tree-hugging nappies. But nothing goes quite to plan. Amanda finds motherhood less glam than the stars make it look and disappears back to her career. Which leaves Hugo with the child and without a clue what to do. Alice has problems too. Bringing up baby to Jake's eco-fascist standards means home-made organic everything and a recycled cardboard cot. Will nappiness bring happiness to anybody? Not before bedhopping spouses, beastly bosses and bitchy nursery mothers have all done their dreadful worst...
Love and Other Secrets: Love And Other Secrets
by Sarah ChallisA warm and riveting tale of the fierce bonds of motherhood Florence has never forgiven Jane for the circumstances of her birth. She was an accident, the product of Jane’s first and only one-night-stand, and Flo does not want to know how hard her teenage mother fought to keep her. When Flo’s own, carefully planned, baby arrives, and her glossy, controlled world is turned upside down, for the first time in her life she turns to her mother for help. Holding her newborn grandson, Jane is suddenly overwhelmed by memories she’s buried for decades of the tumultuous year when Flo was born: her parents’ fury, the new freedoms of 1960s London passing her by, and the rash consequences of the overwhelming love for her child.
A Woman of Secrets: A poignant World War Two tale of lost love and sacrifice
by Amelia CarrA lost love. A guilty conscience. A heroic sacrifice. A Woman of Secrets is Amelia Carr's compelling, dramatic multi-generational family drama set against the danger of World War Two, drawing together the past and the present. The perfect read for fans of Lucinda Riley, Kate Morton and Rachel Hore. 1947. One wet and chilly November afternoon a woman stands at the edge of a lake forced into a heartbreaking choice between her past and her future. 2008. Police diver Martha makes an incredible discovery in a local lake of a package containing a series of lost mementoes which reveal a story of intrigue, betrayal and heartbreak.As the threads of the past and present are drawn together, Martha's world, and that of her family, is changed for ever.What readers are saying about A Woman of Secrets:'I loved everything about this book''I couldn't put it down and cried at the beginning and the end, I felt so involved with the story''The characters: each and every one touched my heart. The story: so clever, fascinating, heart-breaking and wonderful'
My Favourite Goodbye: A touching, uplifting and romantic tale by the #1 bestselling author
by Sheila O'FlanaganSheila O'Flanagan's MY FAVOURITE GOODBYE is a delicious novel about finding love in unexpected places - not to be missed by readers of Veronica Henry and Freya North. Ash O'Halloran is happy with her futon, her flat, her cat and her job as a party caterer. She doesn't do impulsive. She is absolutely, perfectly in control of her single woman's life. And if she can't have relationships without complications - then she's content to carry on as she is. Ms Self-Contained. But when she's employed to cook the supper over which Dan Morland plans to propose to his girlfriend, suddenly she becomes party to someone else's relationship - in all its tangled, heart-breaking complexity. And, as she watches Dan struggling to sort out the mess his emotions have got him into, Ash starts to realise she's not Ms Invulnerable after all...What readers are saying about My Favourite Goodbye: 'An absolutely excellent book - I don't think I've read a more touching story since' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars'I have read a couple of Sheila O'Flanagan's books already but this one is by far the best. I wanted to read it all in one go but I just didn't want it to end so like a delicious bar of chocolate I allowed myself a bit at a time' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars'What a delightful read! I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying this charming, light-hearted and humorous book' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars
King Arthur: An unputdownable historical thriller of bloodshed and betrayal (King Arthur Trilogy #2)
by M. K. HumeBlood. Peace. Betrayal.King Artor's kingdom is under threat. About to lose everything he has fought for, he must make the ultimate sacrifice in the gloriously gripping King Arthur: Warrior of the West. The King Arthur trilogy is sure to appeal to fans of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell.'Historical fiction of the most bloodthirsty and roistering kind' - Australian Bookseller & Publishers MagazineTwelve long, blood-soaked years, have passed since Artor fulfilled his destiny and was crowned the High King of the Britons.Against all odds, Artor has united Celtic Britain and with a last great campaign, has banished the Saxon scourge. The legend of Camlann has begun. But even as Artor's kingdom is at its zenith, it is being undermined from within.The burden of leadership, of power, now rests solely - and heavily - on Artor's shoulders for Myrddion Merlinus, master tactician, guiding light for so many years, has left Artor to his fate. Could all that Artor has fought for, the destiny of Britain, be lost? Will Britain be torn apart?What readers are saying about King Arthur: Warrior of the West: 'This is a most thrilling and compelling book and one I like to call a superb sequel!''A captivating and epic story that keeps readers turning pages to find out what happens next''Absorbing, thrilling, heart-wrenching and nail biting. A genuine page turner'
Venus Envy: When She Was Bad/a Kept Woman/venus Envy
by Louise BagshaweAt twenty-seven, Alex Wilde feels like her life is going nowhere. She’s stuck in a dead-end job and her relationship history is a tale of woe. What’s more, she’s put on a few pounds lately…Sharing a house with three gorgeous girls doesn’t help. Her sister Gail got more than her fair share of the good genes, Keisha is an ice-cool man-magnet and Bronwen is so hip it hurts. With competition like this, is it any wonder Alex feels so inadequate? Alex has two choices: she can retreat to the safety of her duvet and stuff herself with chocolate or she can smarten up her act and face the world head on. Never one to choose the easy option, Alex realises she needs to up her game if she wants to stay in it...
Five Words: Critical Semantics in the Age of Shakespeare and Cervantes
by Roland GreeneBlood. Invention. Language. Resistance. World. Five ordinary words that do a great deal of conceptual work in everyday life and literature. In this original experiment in critical semantics, Roland Greene considers how these words changed over the course of the sixteenth century and what their changes indicate about broader forces in science, politics, and other disciplines. Rather than analyzing works, careers, or histories, Greene discusses a broad swath of Renaissance and transatlantic literature—including Shakespeare, Cervantes, Camões, and Milton—in terms of the development of these five words. Aiming to shift the conversation around Renaissance literature from current approaches to riskier enterprises, Greene also proposes new methods that take advantage of digital resources like full-text databases, but still depend on the interpreter to fashion ideas out of ordinary language. Five Words is an innovative and accessible book that points the field of literary studies in an exciting new direction.
Six Days in Marapore: A Novel
by Paul ScottIn this swiftly paced and lyrical novel about British expatriates at the time of Indian independence, Paul Scott grapples with the themes of race, possession, and history that dominate all four novels of his masterpiece, The Raj Quartet, especially The Jewel in the Crown. As always, Scott fills his book with vivid characters: the seductive, bigoted war widow; the sophisticated, wily Hindu politician; and the athletic young American who only gradually begins to understand the legacy of pain and hatred veiling the woman he has come to rescue. Set against the backdrop of a nation in violent transition—a climate of exhilaration and shifting loyalties—Six Days in Marapore unfolds amidst the possibility of reconciliation, freedom, and healing. "Scott's brief characterizations are as important to Six Days in Marapore as the basic plot . . . This is not primarily a novel of India, but rather more of frightened foreigners living there at the end of their era."—New York Times "Intense, abrasive, the many conflicts and telltale stigmata of Hindu and Moslem, white and off white, give this its uncertain temper and certain suspense."—Kirkus Reviews
As Though She Were Sleeping (Rainmaker Translations Ser.)
by Elias KhouryMeelya's dreams are her refuge from events that threaten her or escape her understanding. She leaves her home in Lebanon to live in Nazareth with her Palestinian husband, but Mansour - an older man who fell for her beauty - is frustrated by her spiritual absence.When Mansour's brother's death demands a move to Jaffa - the centre of early tensions between Jewish settlers and displaced Palestinians - Meelya withdraws further into the realm of dreams. Expecting the birth of their son, Mansour can only watch as she cuts loose from the physical world.Over three traumatic nights, past, present and future merge seamlessly into a series of visions that draw the reader towards a conclusion that is powerfully symbolic of the ongoing troubles in the Middle East.
Sparkles: Viel Zu Schön, Um Brav Zu Sein
by Louise BagshaweThe glittering fortunes of the Massot family, vastly wealthy owners of Paris's greatest jewellery firm, were plunged into confusion seven years ago by the disappearance of Pierre Massot, its charismatic, secretive head. Now his beautiful young widow Sophie has decided she and her son Tom - and the firm - must move on to survive. But their enemies have other ideas and a trail of scandal is waiting to be uncovered... What really happened to Pierre? And what was the family secret he tried so hard to conceal?
Death in the Dordogne: The Dordogne Mysteries 1 (The Dordogne Mysteries #1)
by Martin WalkerMillions of readers worldwide are talking about the Dordogne Mysteries. Find out why and discover what dark secrets lurk in the idyllic French town of St Denis in the first book in this acclaimed series.'Hugely enjoyable and absolutely gripping. Martin Walker has got off to a flying start' Antony BeevorMarket day in the ancient town of St Denis in south-west France. EU hygiene inspectors have been swooping on France's markets, while the locals hide contraband cheese in their houses and call the Brussels bureaucrats 'Gestapo'. Police Captain Bruno Courreges supports their resistance. Although, here in what was once Vichy France, words like 'Gestapo' and 'resistance' still carry a profound resonance.When an old man, head of an immigrant North African family, is found murdered, suspicion falls on the son of the local doctor, found in flagrante playing sex games surrounded by Nazi paraphernalia.But Bruno isn't convinced, and suspects this crime may have its roots in that most tortured period of recent French history - the Second World War, a time of terror and betrayal that set brother against brother. Now it's up to him to find the killer - but will the people of St Denis allow him to go digging through the past in order to do it?
Joyce's Ghosts: Ireland, Modernism, and Memory
by Luke GibbonsFor decades, James Joyce’s modernism has overshadowed his Irishness, as his self-imposed exile and association with the high modernism of Europe’s urban centers has led critics to see him almost exclusively as a cosmopolitan figure. In Joyce’s Ghosts, Luke Gibbons mounts a powerful argument that this view is mistaken: Joyce’s Irishness is intrinsic to his modernism, informing his most distinctive literary experiments. Ireland, Gibbons shows, is not just a source of subject matter or content for Joyce, but of form itself. Joyce’s stylistic innovations can be traced at least as much to the tragedies of Irish history as to the shock of European modernity, as he explores the incomplete project of inner life under colonialism. Joyce’s language, Gibbons reveals, is haunted by ghosts, less concerned with the stream of consciousness than with a vernacular interior dialogue, the “shout in the street,” that gives room to outside voices and shadowy presences, the disruptions of a late colonial culture in crisis. Showing us how memory under modernism breaks free of the nightmare of history, and how in doing so it gives birth to new forms, Gibbons forces us to think anew about Joyce’s achievement and its foundations.
The Maze Maker: A Novel
by Michael Ayrton“I address you across more than three thousand years, you who live at the conjunction of the Fish and the Water-carrier,” speaks Daedalus, an artisan, inventor, and designer born into an utterly alien family of heroes who value acts of war above all else, a world where his fellow Greeks seem driven only to destroy—an existence he feels compelled to escape. In this fictional autobiography of the father of Icarus, “Apollo’s creature,” a brilliant but flawed man, writer and sculptor Michael Ayrton harnesses the tales of the past to mold a myth for our times. We learn of Daedalus’s increasingly ambitious artifacts and inventions; his fascination with Minoan culture, commerce, and religion, and his efforts to adapt to them; how he comes to design the maze of the horned Minotaur; and how, when he decides that he must flee yet again, he builds two sets of wax wings—wings that will be instruments of his descent into the underworld, a place of both purgatory and rebirth. A compelling mix of history, fable, lore, and meditations on the enigma of art, The Maze Maker will ensnare classicists, artists, and all lovers of story in its convolutions of life and legend. “I never understood the pattern of my life,” writes Daedalus, “so that I have blundered through it in a maze.”
The Pilo Family Circus
by Will ElliottYou have two days to pass your audition. You better pass it, feller. You're joining the circus. Ain't that the best news you ever got?The Pilo Family Circus is recruiting and whether he likes it or not, Jamie is auditioning. He never dreamed of running away to join the circus, but you just don't say no to a troupe of exuberantly sadistic clowns out headhunting.Darkly funny and gleefully macabre, The Pilo Family Circus follows Jamie's furious descent into the nightmare world of a centuries-old carnival where amid the acrobats, clowns, dwarves, freaks and fortunetellers, you may lose more than just your way . . .
Before The Storm: An utterly unforgettable tale of love, family and secrets
by Judith LennoxBuried secrets can change a family's life forever... Judith Lennox's Before the Storm is a gripping, multi-generational family drama set in London and Devon, in which the secrets of the past have powerful and emotional repercussions. Perfect for fans of Rachel Hore and Katherine Webb.On an autumn day in 1909, wealthy young Richard Finborough catches sight of twenty-year-old Isabel Zeale at the harbour at Lynmouth in Devon. Her beauty captivates him. Aware of shameful secrets in her past, Isabel has no intention of letting anyone into her life, but Richard's persistence and ardour eventually win him her trust - and her hand in marriage. The decades pass and Isabel and Richard raise a family through the turbulent times of the First World War and the 1920s. As her children reach adulthood, Isabel is convinced her secret is safe - until an old acquaintance emerges from the shadows, turning her world upside down. To protect the happiness of those she loves most, Isabel must find the courage to confront what came before, and live with the consequences... What readers are saying about Before the Storm: 'The characters are both complex and absorbing and the storyline is so compelling that you don't want to stop reading even at two in the morning!''A sweeping, old-fashioned family saga to be savoured, with a host of memorable characters who'll linger in the mind long after the pages are turned, and a story that will transport you back to a bygone era''A very imaginative saga with an unusual twist of mystery'
Prophecy (Prophecy Trilogy 1): The legend of Merlin begins
by M. K. HumeAmid the bloody battlefields of Britain, Merlin is marked for greatness. M.K. Hume tells the story of Myrddion Merlinus from birth to boyhood, as he attempts to surpass evil and corruption to fulfil his destiny. The Prophecy Trilogy is the perfect read for fans of Justin Hill and Anthony Riches.'Hume deftly navigates the Arthurian legends, populating them with likable and despicable characters, and casting them in a fully realized historical setting' - Publishers WeeklyIn the kingdom of Dyfed, Vortigern, Celtic High King of Cymru and the North, rules in relative peace. Yet his choice of wife - a Saxon queen - fuels tension between the Saxon and Celtic tribes. In the town of Segontium, a young boy is raised by his grandmother. The product of a brutal rape, he is spurned by his mother as a demon child. The boy is Myrddion - prince of the Deceangli and apprentice to a skilled healer. Far away, Vortigern oversees the resurrection of ancient Dinas Emrys. According to prophecy, the king will perish if the fort does not rise again. But the foundations refuse to hold and Vortigern needs the blood of a demon seed - a human sacrifice - to make the towers stand firm. Myrddion's life is in danger. Yet the child has a prophecy of his own and a greater destiny to fulfil...What readers are saying about Prophecy: Clash of Kings: 'An exciting and thrilling story about Celtic life, of evil and power, and tribal wars that rule this Kingdom of the Celts. A very engrossing and entertaining tale from an author worthy following' 'A captivating start to the Merlin Legend''Excellent and well worth reading. The narrative carries you along at pace and the plot is action-packed, never giving you a moments pause from either action of emotional content'
Can't Stand Up For Sitting Down
by Jo BrandThe Stand-Up while Sitting Down Years...Jo Brand is one of our best-loved comedians, according to a quote she made up. This memoir is full of hard-won wisdom, hilarity and her views on life, laughs, friendships and all the good and bad things in the world. If she was Prime Minister, the country would be in even more of a mess than it is.
Atlantic Shift: A life-affirming novel with delicious twists
by Emily BarrIs it really necessary to go halfway round the world to find the real you?Bestselling author Emily Barr transports readers to New York City in Atlantic Shift as world-famous Evie attempts to start a new life for herself. The perfect read for fans of Dorothy Koomson and Lisa Jewell.'Superb characterisation and edgy style' - Glasgow Daily RecordGorgeous, world-famous cellist Evie Silverman is classicalite through and through. Real musicians despise her. Her talent has been promoted way beyond its value because - apparently - everyone loves a blonde girl in lipstick who can do interesting things between her thighs. She's played for the President of the United States. She's played at No. 10 Downing Street. And tonight she's playing for Royalty. But tonight she's also going to change her life. Tonight she's going to leave her husband. Tonight, for the first time in fifteen years, she's going to stand on her own two feet. For tomorrow begins her new life - starting with a trip to New York. It all too soon becomes apparent that breaking the rules - and escaping from your past - isn't what it's cracked up to be...What readers are saying about Atlantic Shift:'A real page-turner''The story of figuring out what's important in life is really relatable''Gripping story with a fantastic twist'
The Death Instinct: A Novel
by Jed RubenfeldA spellbinding literary thriller about terror, war, greed, and the darkest secrets of the human soul, by the author of the million-copy bestseller, The Interpretation of Murder. September 16, 1920. Under a clear blue September sky, a quarter ton of explosives is detonated in a deadly attack on Wall Street. Fear comes to the streets of New York. Witnessing the blast are war veteran Stratham Younger, his friend James Littlemore of the New York Police Department, and beautiful French radiochemist Colette Rousseau. A series of inexplicable attacks on Colette, a secret buried in her past, and a mysterious trail of evidence lead Younger, Littlemore, and Rousseau on a thrilling international and psychological journey -- from Paris to Prague, from the Vienna home of Dr Sigmund Freud to the corridors of power in Washington, DC, and ultimately to the hidden depths of our most savage instincts. As the seemingly disjointed pieces of Younger and Littlemore's investigations come together, the two uncover the shocking truth about the bombing -- a truth that threatens to shake their world to its foundations.
Destiny
by Louise BagshaweOrphan Kate Fox is determined to make her mark in the world, and with her gorgeous looks, what better way to secure her future than to marry money? When she attracts the attention of media mogul Marcus Broder - sophisticated, powerful and wealthy beyond measure - it seems as though all of Kate's dreams have come true.But marriage to Marcus isn't everything she imagined. A closet filled with designer clothes, and nothing to do with her time but shop, lunch and be beautiful, does not bring happiness. Before long, Kate wants out of her marriage, a career of her own, and a chance at love. But Kate's reputation as a gold-digger is sealed. Ruthlessly pursued by Marcus, who will stop at nothing to destroy her, Kate knows she has to defeat her past if she is to win the trust of the man she loves.
A Song At Sunset: A moving World War Two love story of family, heartbreak and guilt
by Amelia CarrA wartime love affair tears a family apart. Can old wounds ever be healed?The past takes action on the present in A Song At Sunset, as secret lovers torn apart in World War Two separates a mother and daughter by guilt and shame forty years later. Amelia Carr's novel is the perfect read for fans of Lucinda Riley, Rachel Hore and Katherine Webb.When the Second World War breaks out, Carrie Chapman rebels against her controlling husband to work at a local hospital. Amidst the chaos of the Bristol blitz, Carrie finds herself falling in love with a young doctor, Dev. Carrie's willing to defy convention and leave her stifling marriage for Dev, but one summer evening, horrific events change Carrie's life for ever. Since that night, for forty years, Carrie's beloved daughter, Gillian, has refused to see or speak to her. Now, someone is digging into the past. Will Carrie break her long silence and, if she does, will Gillian finally be able to forgive?What readers are saying about A Song At Sunset:'A lovely read. Don't miss it''I could not put this book down, it has everything - love, misunderstandings, duty, family''It is a tale of the way a troubled family interacts. Beautifully and sympathetically observed'
Fast Friends
by Jill MansellFAST FRIENDS is a warm and funny romantic novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Jill Mansell. For fans of Lucy Diamond, Cathy Kelly and Marian Keyes.When the chips are down, who better to turn to then your oldest friends? When bored housewife and mother Camilla Stewart impulsively invites her old schoolchums for dinner she hardly imagines that the evening will shatter her comfortable existence. But Roz Vallender and Loulou Marks are no ordinary guests. Roz, stunning and self-assured, is notorious as a TV presenter and superbitch, whilst the reckless Loulou owns Vampires, the trendiest wine bar in town. Horrified to discover that husband Jack has been playing around, Camilla determines to make some changes. With a little help from her friends she soon finds out that life in the fast lane is a lot more fun and the future still holds plenty of surprises.What readers are saying about Fast Friends: 'I am a huge lover of Jill Mansell books but this has to be her best to date. I enjoyed savouring every moment of it' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars'The tangled web of relationships within the book are so much fun to read about, that the book becomes just impossible to put down!' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars'Loved this book from start to finish... funny, sad, agonising, teasing and touching' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars