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The Captain's Wife
by Kirsten Mckenzie1762. Mary is desperate to escape her embittered mother. So when her marriage to a prosperous sea captain is arranged, she embraces the damp salt air, cramped conditions and bad food. She sets sail on the Isabella, away from the land of her childhood towards unseen places and an unknown future.But being the captain's wife is going to be harder than she thought. Her husband is still grieving for his first wife, and Mary can't ignore her feelings towards another man onboard. Through him, she has a taste of the kind of love she might have known, and even begins to think that escape is possible. With ruthless pirates patrolling British waters and ports full of outcasts with unspoken pasts, Mary learns quickly that loyalties are always shifting and people are rarely as they first seem. The Captain's Wife is a richly realised story of adventure about a strong young woman determined to survive her fate by a wonderful storyteller.
Boffinology: The Real Stories Behind Our Greatest Scientific Discoveries
by Justin PollardThe history of science is often seen as a story of advancement but nothing could be further from the truth. Science, it is true, has progressed, but rarely in the direction intended and seldom for the reasons given. This has a lot to do with the people responsible. From the strange to the eccentric, meet Thales, credited as 'the father of science', whose only real claim to fame is that he often fell into ditches, discover how Archimedes never said Eureka and hated baths anyway and how the most lucrative ancient Greek invention was not democracy but the slot machine. Justin Pollard also fills us in on Issac Newton, who thought gravity was created by the Holy Spirit, how eleven people claimed to have invented the steam engine and why the first website was twelve foot across and made of wood.
Constance: The Tragic and Scandalous Life of Mrs Oscar Wilde
by Franny MoyleIn the spring of 1895 the life of Constance Wilde changed irrevocably. Up until the conviction of her husband, Oscar, for homosexual crimes, she had held a privileged position in society. Part of a gilded couple, she was a popular children's author, a fashion icon, and a leading campaigner for women's rights. A founding member of the magical society the Golden Dawn, her pioneering and questioning spirit encouraged her to sample some of the more controversial aspects of her time. Mrs Oscar Wilde was a phenomenon in her own right. But that spring Constance's entire life was eclipsed by scandal. Forced to flee to the Continent with her two sons, her glittering literary and political career ended abruptly. Having changed her name, she lived in exile until her death. Franny Moyle now tells Constance's story with a fresh eye and remarkable new material. Drawing on numerous unpublished letters, she brings to life the story of a woman at the heart of fin-de-siecle London and the Aesthetic movement. In a compelling and moving tale of an unlikely couple caught up in a world unsure of its moral footing, she uncovers key revelations about a woman who was the victim of one of the greatest betrayals of all time.
Farundell
by L R FredericksFARUNDELL is a story of magical awakening as a young man searches for meaning in the aftermath of the First World War, a young girl comes of age and an old man journeys through memory to death. There's an enigmatic book, an erotic obsession, magic both black and white, a ghost who's not a ghost, a murder that's not a murder, a treasure that's not a treasure. It's about love, loss and longing; language, imagination and the nature of reality. In the golden summer of 1924 Paul Asher, still shattered by the trauma of the Western Front, comes to Farundell, an idyllic country house set deep in the Oxfordshire countryside. There, he falls under the spell of the rich and eccentric Damory family: the celebrated Amazon explorer Perceval, Lord Damory, now blind and dying, whose story echoes Paul's own strange dreams, brilliant thirteen-year-old Alice, on the cusp of adulthood and, like Paul, a seeker of knowledge and, most fatefully, the wild and beautiful Sylvie, with whom he falls passionately in love. Before summer's end, there will be tragedy, comedy, resolution and, for Paul, a revelation that will change his life forever. A stunningly original debut novel, Farundell is literary fiction with a metaphysical twist. Although complete in itself, it is the first in a linked series of novels about these people, places and themes.
Past the Shallows: A Novel
by Favel ParrettShortlisted for the 2012 Miles Franklin Award, PAST THE SHALLOWS is a powerful and hauntingly beautiful novel from an extraordinary new Australian writer who is compared with Cormac McCarthy and Tim Winton. 'If you read only one book this year, make sure it's this' Sunday Times'I loved Past the Shallows' Kevin Powers, author of The Yellow BirdsEveryone loves Harry. Except his father.Joe, Miles and Harry are growing up on the remote south coast of Tasmania. The brothers' lives are shaped by their father's moods - like the ocean he fishes, he is wild and unpredictable. He is a bitter man, with a devastating secret.Miles does his best to watch out for Harry, the youngest, but he can't be there all the time. Often alone, Harry finds joy in the small treasures he discovers, in shark eggs and cuttlefish bones. In a kelpie pup, a mug of hot chocolate, and a secret friendship with a mysterious neighbour.But sometimes small treasures, or a brother's love are not enough.
Gangs: A Journey into the Heart of the British Underworld
by Tony ThompsonFrom the bestselling author of GANGLAND BRITAIN and REEFER MEN.Organised crime is one of Britain's biggest industries. The number of gangland murders, shootings and kidnappings, along with the levels of drug trafficking, people smuggling and money laundering, have all experienced phenomenal growth. Multi-million pound drug deals and vicious turf wars have spread out from the inner cities and now affect even the most rural communities. The day-to-day impact of organised crime on our lives has never been greater.In GANGS, award-winning author Tony Thompson takes us on a gripping journey into the criminal underworld. From Triad human traffickers in Dover and ecstasy factory owners in Liverpool, to Albanian vice barons in London and gun-toting teenage crack dealers in Birmingham, GANGS reveals the inside story of contemporary organised crime.
Life and Soul of the Party
by Mike GayleA brilliant romantic comedy about a year in the lives of three couples from number one bestselling author Mike Gayle.Meet Melissa and Paul: Five years after they split up he's still looking for love in all the wrong places while she wants the one thing she can't have: Paul.Meet Chris and Vicky: They're so in tune they even brush their teeth in time with each other. So what is Chris doing risking it all for a meaningless affair?Meet Cooper and Laura: He wants to settle down, she wants to take a grown-up gap year but can their relationship really survive a year apart?Set across a year of leaving dos, birthday parties and anniversary celebrations, Life and Soul of the Party is a warm, funny and moving tale celebrating love, life and those special moments we've all spent in the kitchen at parties.
Hit Girls: Gangland Girls Book 3 (Gangland)
by Dreda Say MitchellTwo kids are murdered...Their gangland family want revenge.Ten-year-old twin sisters are murdered outside their school. But they aren't just anyone's kids, they're gangster Stanley Lewis' daughters. When a rival gangster is arrested Stanley vows to take revenge. But his dad, feared villain Kenny Lewis, thinks there's more going on. So he contacts the one group of people who he trusts to help him find the truth...Jackie, Anna, Roxy and Ollie. Four women with shady pasts who take the cases people don't take to the cops. They enter a world of easy sex and even easier violence where everyone, including the Lewis family, are hiding secrets. Then Jackie's son, a friend of the dead girls, disappears.
The Man Who Disappeared
by Clare MorrallWhat would you do if, out of the blue, your husband disappeared and you found out he was a suspected criminal?When reliable, respectable Felix Kendall vanishes, his wife Kate is left reeling. As she and their children cope with the shocking impact on their comfortable lives, Kate realises that, if Felix is guilty, she never truly knew the man she loved. But as she faces the possibility that he might not return, she also discovers strengths she never knew she had.
The Attenbury Emeralds: Lord Peter Wimsey's First Case (Lord Peter Wimsey/harriet Vane Ser. #3)
by Jill Paton WalshIt was 1921 when Lord Peter Wimsey first encountered the Attenbury emeralds. The recovery of the magnificent gem in Lord Attenbury's most dazzling heirloom made headlines - and launched a shell-shocked young aristocrat on his career as a detective. Now it is 1951: a happily married Lord Peter has just shared the secrets of that mystery with his wife, the detective novelist Harriet Vane. Then the new young Lord Attenbury - grandson of Lord Peter's first client - seeks his help again, this time to prove who owns the gigantic emerald that Wimsey last saw in 1921. It will be the most intricate and challenging mystery he has ever faced . . .Since the publication of A Presumption of Death, which was set in 1941 in the wartime English countryside, readers have been eagerly asking for this story - a wholly original and utterly engrossing new detective adventure.
Judgement and Wrath: Joe Hunter: Book Two (Joe Hunter #2)
by Matt Hilton'Some call me a vigilante. I just think I've got problems to fix.'Joe Hunter doesn't like bullies. He reallydoesn't like men who abuse women. So protecting Bradley Jorgenson from a professional hitman is not Joe's dream job. Contract killer Dantalion takes his work very seriously. He has a talent for killing and a book in which he obsessively numbers each of his victims.Which adds up to one hell of a body count . . .
Brodmaw Bay
by F.G. CottamBrodmaw Bay seems to be the perfect refuge for James Greer and his family. When his young son is the victim of a brutal mugging, Greer wants to leave London - the sooner the better - for the charming old-fashioned fishing port he has just discovered. But was finding Brodmaw Bay more than a happy accident? What is the connection between the village and his beautiful wife? When his friendly new neighbours say they'd welcome some new blood - in a village where the same families seem to have lived for generations - are they telling the whole truth? Perhaps the village isn't so much welcoming them as luring them. To something ancient and evil. As it has lured others before . . .
Proof of Life
by Karen CampbellThe girl in the foyer could not hear them, could not possibly have heard Anna, or know that she was there through two thick doors, but her pale neck flexed and her head came up, longer and higher as her profile turned , as her face took form to stare directly at the camera.And Anna's life, her future, froze. Chief Inspector Anna Cameron is a woman with everything to lose. Her life is finally back on track, but the mistakes she made in the past are about to come back to haunt her.When a body is discovered in a Glasgow canal, the death proves to have an unexpected link to something Anna wants desperately to forget. As Glasgow pulses with the threat of terrorist attack and growing civil discontent, she realises everything she holds dear is at risk . . .The explosive fourth novel from Karen Campbell, Gold Dagger-shortlisted author of SHADOWPLAY, AFTER THE FIRE AND THE TWILIGHT TIME.
California Dreamers
by Belinda JonesEver wished you could make-over your life? Make-up artist Stella is an expert at helping other people change their images, but when it comes to transforming herself, she doesn't even know where to start. So when her new friend, glamorous Hollywood actress Marina Ray, summons her a movie set in California, Stella can't resist the chance to start afresh - it is the land of sunshine and opportunity after all! But are they really friends or does Marina have an ulterior motive? What is the secret that both women are hiding about the nautical (but nice) men in their lives? And what will it take to really make both of their California dreams come true? In a Pacific Coast journey that takes in Los Angeles, the world's most romantic ranch and California's very own castle in the sky - this story of friendship, long-distance love, kissing (and making up) is the perfect escapist read.
Death Mask (Dr Anya Crichton #5)
by Kathryn FoxWhen the victim of a violent gang rape accuses five premier sportsmen of being her attackers, she has no idea that her suffering has only just begun.It's a scandal that rock a nation of sports fans.But, in spite of a huge amount of evidence, no one seems to believe the girl.So when Dr Anya Crichton, with her forensic and sexual assault expertise, is asked to get involved, albeit on behalf of the team managers, she knows she can't say no.But as she investigates further, she realises that the scandals, violence and abuses run much deeper, and much further into the past than she could ever have imagined.
Cold Grave: The Must-Read Winter Thriller for the Festive Season (Dr Anya Crichton #5)
by Kathryn FoxThe sixth Anya Crichton thriller in a series to rival Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta books.It feels like the safest place on earth. A family-friendly, floating palace. But, as Anya Crichton soon discovers, cruise ships aren't all that they seem... Statistics tell us that a woman is twice as likely to be sexually assaulted on a cruise ship than on dry land. Customers aren't screened, so the ships are a haven for sex offenders and paedophiles. With no policing, and floating in international waters, sexual assaults and passengers 'disappearing' are uncommonly frequent...So when a teenage girl is discovered, dead on the deck of the ship that she is holidaying on, Anya feels compelled to get involved. There's no apparent cause of death, but Anya's forensics expertise uncovers more than the ship's doctors can... or want to.With the killer still on board, and subsequently a crew-member found shot, it becomes clear that the safe haven of the cruise-ship is actually anything but. And, as Anya comes under increasing pressure to abandon her investigations, will she continue? Or do whatever it takes to keep her own family safe?The sixth book to feature forensic pathologist Anya Crichton is perfect for fans of Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs.
Rough Justice: The 7th Spider Shepherd Thriller (The Spider Shepherd Thrillers)
by Stephen LeatherThe seventh book in the bestselling Dan 'Spider' Shepherd series. Villains across London are being beaten, crippled and killed by vigilante cops. Crime rates are falling, but the powers that be want Dan 'Spider' Shepherd to bring the wave of rough justice to an end. Shepherd has always known that there are grey areas in the fight against crime. And that sometimes justice gets lost in the process.He has never been comfortable investigating cops, but working for the Serious Organised Crime Agency means that he has no choice. He has to go undercover with an elite group of officers who are at the sharp end of policing, risking their lives daily on the toughest streets in the Capital.But Shepherd has hard decisions of his own to make when his family is in the firing line.
Becoming Scarlett
by Ciara GeraghtyMeet Scarlett O’Hara. In her life, everything goes according to plan. Until now . . . Now, Scarlett is back in her childhood home with her plan in tatters and a baby on the way, while John Smith – actuary, proper grown-up and Scarlett’s boyfriend – has left her to join an archaeological dig in a tiny village somewhere in Brazil. But that’s not the worst bit. The worst bit is she can’t be sure who the father of the baby is . . . even though she’s slept with exactly four-and-a-half men in her entire 35 years. As a distraction, Scarlett throws herself into her job as a wedding planner, but even that’s not going smoothly. Because of her growing feelings for her most important client’s husband-to-be . . . In the end it’s the person she thought she knew best – herself – who surprises her the most. Join Scarlett as she tries, for the first time ever, to navigate life without a plan.
Cruise Ship SOS: The Life-Saving Adventures of a Doctor at Sea
by Neil Simpson Ben MacfarlaneWho gets the call if it all goes wrong at sea?Meet Dr Ben MacFarlane. After spending a year as a repatriation doctor, he's heading around the world as a ship's doctor - and with 3,000 passengers and crew to look after he's in for the most exciting trip of his life. On one dramatic voyage he deals with broken bones and broken hearts, and picks up the pieces after fights in the crew bar and freak accidents on shore leave. So join Ben and his colleagues and find out why ship's doctors think bar stools should carry health warnings, why the casino can be safer than the sick bay in a storm and why no amount of sharks, pirates or tidal waves will ever be as dangerous as the midnight buffet.
Victory: Thomas Kydd 11 (Thomas Kydd #11)
by Julian Stockwin'Paints a vivid picture of life aboard the mighty ship-of-the-line' - Daily ExpressCommander Thomas Kydd is eager to play his part in thwarting Bonaparte's plans for the invasion of England. Joining Admiral Nelson's command, Kydd and his ship soon find themselves at the heart of the action that leads up to the greatest sea battle in history: Trafalgar. Kydd's journey takes him from false sightings of the enemy and dramatic chases across the Atlantic, to the bloody annihilation of the enemy during the actual battle, and the heroic aftermath.******************What readers are saying about VICTORY'More of the same, please!' - 5 stars'The best Stockwin yet!' - 5 stars'A great read . . . I salute a terrific story teller of that bygone age!' - 5 stars'A masterly retelling of a real hero's tragic demise and a thoroughly enjoyable novel' - 5 stars'A marvelous book' - 5 stars
The Dealer and the Dead
by Gerald SeymourThe arms dealer betrayed them. Now the survivors want revenge.SOMETIMES, surviving a war can almost seem worse than dying in it. In a Croatian village near Vukovar, no one who survived will ever forget the night they waited for the weapons they needed to make a last-ditch fight against the advancing Serbs. The promised delivery never came, and the village was overrun. Eighteen years later, a body is unearthed from a field, and with it the identity of the arms dealer who betrayed them. Now the villagers can plot their revenge. In leafy England, arms dealer Harvey Gillott regards himself as a man of his word. There is only one blemish on his record, and that was long ago. But Gillott, his family, his friends and his enemies are about to be pitched into a sequence of events that will unfold across Europe with breath-taking drama and almost biblical power. Harvey Gillott is about to find out what happens when the hand of the past suddenly reaches out to the present - and it's holding a gun.
The Admiral's Daughter: Thomas Kydd 8 (Thomas Kydd #8)
by Julian Stockwin'In Stockwin's hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world' - Guardian1803. Tensions are escalating again between England and France. While the Royal Navy launches reconnaissance, rescue missions and spies on the continent, French privateer ships are lurking in English waters poised to strike at British trade. Smugglers, perilous storms and a treacherous coastline all threaten to overcome HMS Teazer as her men fight to gain control of the seas around Cornwall and Devon. Meanwhile an unlikely rival is seeking her captain's heart. The beautiful and determined admiral's daughter could be the key to realising all Kydd's hopes and ambitions. But high society, he finds, can be as treacherous as his first mistress - the sea.*******************What readers are saying about THE ADMIRAL'S DAUGHTER'Stockwin's best yet' - 5 stars'Another great Julian Stockwin novel' - 5 stars'Great read, a brilliant series' - 5 stars'A very good book of adventures at sea' - 5 stars'The entire series is utterly brilliant' - 5 stars
Never Eat Shredded Wheat: The Geography We've Lost And How To Find It Again
by Christopher SomervilleBognor Regis...Aberystwyth...Glasgow...Can you place them on a map? Most people can't these days. What kind of countryside do you pass through on your way to the Cairngorms, or the Fens, or Northumberland? What's north of the Pennines? And what's it like when you get there? Most folk wouldn't have a clue. Increasing numbers of us don't have a basic geographical notion of these islands. Blame it on a decline in formal geography teaching, or Sat-Nav and other 'A to Z and nothing in between' devices that make us lazy -- we are becoming the best travelled and least well orientated Britons ever seen. Now Christopher Somerville, bestselling author of Coast and many other books of UK exploration, presents the basics of what belongs where, which counties border one another, and what lies beyond the Watford Gap. He reminds us of the watery bits, the lumpy bits and the flat bits, and gets to grips with the smaller islands surrounding Britain -- and much more. Never Eat Shredded Wheat is a reminder of all the fascinating British geography once learned at school - geography that brings our islands vividly to life - geography which we have forgotten, or never even knew.
Out of the Woods But Not Over the Hill
by Gervase PhinnFor Gervase Phinn growing old is not about a leisurely walk to the pub for a game of dominoes or snoozing in his favourite armchair. As this sparkling collection of his very best humorous writing shows, he may be ‘out of the woods’ but he is certainly not ‘over the hill’. Looking back over more than sixty years of family life, teaching, inspecting schools, writing and public speaking, Gervase never fails to unearth humour, character, warmth and wisdom from the most diverse of experiences, whether they be growing up in Rotherham with the most un-Yorkshirelike of names or describing why loud mobile phone users get his goat. Brimming with nostalgia, gently mocking life’s absurdities, never shy of an opinion, this is Gervase Phinn at his wittiest, twinkly-eyed best.
Slash and Burn: Joe Hunter: Book Three (Joe Hunter #3)
by Matt HiltonJoe Hunter is enjoying some much needed r&r when a young woman approaches him to help find her missing sister Imogen. Kate Piers knows about Joe from her dead brother Jake, Hunter's former comrade in arms, and for that reason alone he feels obliged to help. The fact that Kate is very attractive doesn't hurt.Together they go to Imogen's Kentucky home where they are immediately attacked by a bunch of thugs, acting on behalf of local businessman Robert Huffman. Huffman outwardly respectable but the psychotic twins he uses as his enforcers give the game away: he has links to organised crime and a deadly reputation with a blade. Huffman is also looking for Imogen, and kidnaps Kate to act as bait. Looks like Joe is in trouble again . . .