Best of
British-Literature

2018

Faceless


Rob Ashman - 2018
    The murders appear random but the killer selects his quarry with meticulous care.While fighting her superiors Kray must conquer her own demons, which are tearing her apart.Kray has the ability to think like a killer and her skills lead to a series of horrifying revelations that turn the case on its head. She believes she is getting close, then her world comes crashing down with devastating consequences.Will Kray find the murderer and escape with her own life in tact?The truth is closer than she could have ever imagined…

Shadows in Heaven


Nadine Dorries - 2018
    In the aftermath of the Second World War, two women are waiting there for ambitious Michael Malone to return home.Rosie is the local schoolteacher and most people think she is promised to him. Just a few have guessed that he has secretly begun to woo Sarah, whose brutal fisherman father would kill her if he knew.Both Rosie and Sarah love Michael, both hope to become his wife and their lives will interweave in a tale of tangled secrets, old promises and new feuds. Michael Malone's choice will have fateful consequences for everyone – especially, in due course, for his young daughter.This is the first in a new sequence of novels with a brilliant cast of characters and a story that will lead to Liverpool in Mary Kate and back to Ireland in The Seven Acres.

Bring Them Home


D.S. Butler - 2018
    A perfect crime. When two young girls disappear from their primary school, the village of Heighington is put on high alert—and not for the first time. Called in to investigate, Detective Karen Hart is sure that parallels with a previous disappearance are anything but coincidental.DS Hart is still reeling from a case she tried and failed to solve eighteen months ago, when a young woman vanished without a trace. She’s no nearer to the truth of what happened to Amy Fisher, but with two children missing now too, the stakes have never been higher. As she looks to the past for clues, she must confront her own haunting loss, a nightmare she is determined to spare other families.Hart soon realises that nothing in this close-knit Lincolnshire community is what it seems. Pursuing the investigation with personal vengeance, she finds herself in conflict with her scrupulous new boss, but playing by the rules will have to wait. Because while there’s no shortage of suspects, the missing girls are running out of time…

A Raid Over Berlin


John Martin - 2018
    It must have been at this moment that I thought I was going to die because I became remarkably calm.’ Trapped inside a burning Lancaster bomber, 20,000 feet above Berlin, airman John Martin consigned himself to his fate and turned his thoughts to his fiancée back home. In a miraculous turn of events, however, the twenty-one year old was thrown clear of his disintegrating aeroplane and found himself parachuting into the heart of Nazi Germany. He was soon to be captured and began his period as a prisoner of war.This engaging and compulsively readable true-life account of a Second World War airman, who cheated death in the sky, only to face interrogation and the prospect of being shot by the Gestapo, before having to endure months of hardship as a prisoner of war.

A Boy in the Water


Tom Gregory - 2018
    1984: the hot fug of the swimming pool and the slow splashing of a boy learning to swim but not yet wanting to take his foot off the bottom. Fast-forward four years. Photographers and family wait on the shingle beach as a boy in a bright orange hat and grease-smeared goggles swims the last few metres from France to England. He has been in the water for twelve agonizing hours, encouraged at each stroke by his coach, John Bullet, who has become a second father.This is the story of a remarkable friendship between a coach and a boy, and a love letter to the intensity and freedom of childhood.

Jessica's Promise


Jill Childs - 2018
    It is emotional and thrilling and just plain amazing.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars Teresa’s heart stops when she enters her daughter’s bedroom to find that her sweet, trusting little girl is gone. Teresa can’t bear to think who would take a terrified three-year-old from her mother in the middle of the night, but all the signs point to someone close to home. Hasn’t Jessica’s stepfather been acting a little oddly? Or is it, as Teresa is beginning to fear, something to do with Angie, her daughter’s babysitter who lives next door...? Gentle, retired Angie – she must be lonely, with only her memories to keep her company in that big, old house. And she’s always had a special connection with Jessica... was trusting Angie with her precious daughter the biggest mistake of Teresa’s life? What do we really know about those who watch our children? Jessica’s Promise is a compelling domestic drama for fans of Jodi Picoult, Lisa Wingate and Kerry Fisher. Readers absolutely love Jessica’s Promise… ‘Wow! There is no other word for this book. It is emotional and thrilling and just plain amazing! I cannot wait to read more of the writer's books in the future!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Absolutely brilliant, brilliant and brilliant, didn't think Jill could “do it again” after reading Gracie's Secret but how wrong could I be? Loved everything about this book.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Riveting… Emotional! This was a brilliant fast-paced domestic drama!... A compelling story full of all the twists and turns.’ Audio Killed the Bookmark ‘Fast paced and wonderfully told story about mother-love, secrecy, trust and family. The characters are so true to life… I was very surprised by the shock revelation of what had really happened to Jessica.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘WOW… this book was just beautifully written throughout and had you gripped from the first few pages…. I just loved this book and the last few chapters will keep on your toes.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars ‘Absolutely brilliant! A poignant, touching and thrilling take from an amazing writer. Tense and pacy, and yet written with heart. A truly stunning tale.’ Renita D’Silva ‘The characters are flawed but show great emotion… The author has tremendous insight into the mind of a young child… If you like domestic thrillers, emotion-packed drama, and a gripping storyline, this book is definitely for you.’ Waggy Tales Dog Blog, 5 stars ‘A brilliant thriller all the way through, I really enjoyed it.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘You did not know who to trust and who kept which secret. Everybody seemed suspicious… When the culprit was finally revealed and all secrets were in the open, I could not believe my eyes. Not even in my wildest dream could I have guessed that! Fast paced… emotional.

The War Nurses


Lizzie Page - 2018
    Lane and Nadine Dorries. As war takes its toll, the love and care of two brave young nurses become everything to the wounded soldiers they tend... 1914. Two plucky young nurses pledge to help the war effort: Mairi, a wholesome idealist hoping to leave behind her past and Elsie, a glamorous single mother with a weakness for handsome soldiers. Despite their differences, the pair become firm friends. At the emergency medical shelter where they're based, Elsie and Mairi work around the clock to treat wounded soldiers. It's heart-breaking work and they are at constant risk from shelling, fire and disease. Occasionally there are happier times… parties, trips and letters. And maybe even the possibility of love with an attractive officer in their care… But as the war continues and the stress of duty threatens to pull the two women apart, will Elsie and Mairi's special nurses' bond be strong enough to see them through? Based on a true story, Mairi and Elsie's devotion and bravery will make you smile and cry. You won't want to put it down!

The Little Cottage on the Hill


Emma Davies - 2018
    Maddie is looking forward to a fresh start in the countryside, but there’s just one little problem… Following a scandal at her high-flying PR agency, twenty-six-year-old Maddie flees London to help promote what she thinks is going to be a luxurious holiday retreat in the countryside. Everything is riding on her making a success of this new job… Yet when she arrives, Maddie is horrified to find a rundown old farm in a terrible state. The brooding and secretive owner, Seth, spent all his money on leasing the land when he fell in love with the beautiful, dishevelled farm cottages and the very romantic story behind them. When Maddie discovers an old painting by the original owner’s wife, she unlocks the secret of the farm’s history and quickly realises she must start getting her hands dirty if this very special place is going to have any chance of survival. As she and Seth begin working together, the stunning view from the top of the hill is not the only thing that’s leaving her breathless… After weeks of hard work the dream looks like it might become a reality, until a secret from Maddie’s past threatens to snatch it all away again. Can Maddie find a way to save the business and herself? Will she finally find a place to keep her heart within the crumbling walls of the little cottage on the hill? Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Lucy Diamond and Debbie Johnson who are looking to escape to the countryside and fall in love watching the seasons change. What readers are saying about Emma Davies: ‘One of the most heartfelt and captivating books I have read this year. Beautifully emotional, this book has it all. Such a joy to devour and I recommend this book with all of my heart.’ The Writing Garnet, 5 stars ‘This is the perfect read for book lovers everywhere… Books, friendship and a sprinkling of romance, the perfect feel good combo.’ Heidi Swain, author of Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair ‘What delightful treat the book was… in fact it was a warm hug of a story, a joy from beginning to end.’ Liz Fenwick, author of The Cornish House ‘My favourite book of 2017. A must buy, must read for all. I have so much love for this book… I wanted to stay up late into the night just to finish it. Something that I haven’t wanted to do for a loooonnnnggg time… This book is simply magical. I laughed, I smiled and I cried. I was left with a massive smile on my face… I absolutely adored this book and it will get a massive 5 out of 5 from me.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars ‘A real page turner and I read it in one sitting! At one point the tears were rolling down my face… This is the first book I've read from Emma and I can guarantee it won't be the last!’ The Introverted Mum, 5 stars ‘A thoroughly delightful, warm read with an engaging cast of characters. You can't help but root for a happy ending!’ Talli Roland, author of The Pollyanna Plan ‘This is a heart-warming book

Outlaw King


Julie Johnstone - 2018
    Deception endangers them. Only an impossible love can save them. When headstrong Elizabeth de Burgh’s evil father threatens to kill her beloved cousin unless she seduces his enemy Robert the Bruce, she begrudgingly agrees. But as she grows close to the arrogant leader of the Scottish rebellion whose savage good looks whisper of pleasure, she discovers that behind Robert’s facade of coldhearted traitor lies a noble fighter who will risk all for the freedom of his country. Now, she can no longer imagine aiding in Robert’s destruction. But does she have a choice? Fierce Scottish warrior Robert the Bruce would do anything to release his country from English rule and claim his rightful throne. Enemies on both sides surround him, however, and Robert must dance a dangerous line between truth and duplicity. One misstep could topple his nation and cost him his life. Yet one irresistible woman tempts him—and jeopardizes his mission—as no other ever has. Robert is in no position to entangle himself with the enemy, especially one who may be plotting his defeat, but the feisty, determined, blue-eyed beauty ignites a longing in Robert that he has never known. But is she his biggest threat or greatest source of strength? Bound by duty and honor but ensnared by uncontainable desire, Robert and Elizabeth must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice for the one thing they thought they’d never find—extraordinary love.

The Secret Vow


Natalie Meg Evans - 2018
    She leaves behind a terrible secret, and her survival in this strange and beautiful new city depends on nobody ever discovering who – and what – she is. Immediately, Katya is swept up in the city’s glamour – particularly the boutiques on the main boulevard, where glittering gowns are hand-sewn for an exclusive clientele. Dare Katya dream that she may someday wear – or even design – one of these dazzling creations? It feels like an impossible wish, until she meets businessman Harry Morten. Tall, handsome and well-connected, Harry could give Katya everything she wants and more… but at what price? And should she break the vow she’s made and trust him with her secret when her very survival could be at stake?

Finding Hope at Hillside Farm


Rachael Lucas - 2018
    Living on the remote farm, with just horses and her aunt Bron for company, Ella thinks she has finally found a place where she can forget her past and find peace.But the arrival of a small girl called Hope and her father Harry changes everything. As Ella helps the pair come to terms with their loss, she realizes that she too deserves happiness. But is it too late to find it?

Cold Sunflowers


Mark Sippings - 2018
    Raymond Mann is seventeen. He is fearful of life and can’t get off buses. He says his prayers every night and spends too much time in his room. He meets Ernest Gardiner, a gentleman in his seventies who’s become tired of living and misses the days of chivalry and honour. Together they discover a love of sunflowers and stars, and help each other learn to love the world. Ernest recounts his experiences of 1917 war-torn France where he served as a photographer in the trenches … of his first love, Mira, and how his life was saved by his friend Bill, a hardened soldier. But all is not as it seems, and there is one more secret that will change Raymond’s life for ever. Cold Sunflowers is a story of love. All love. But most of all it’s about the love of life and the need to cherish every moment. Find out more about the book and its author, Mark Sippings, at www.coldsunflowers.co.uk.

The Jeeves & Wooster Series: The Glorious Adventures of Bertie Wooster & His Valet Reginald Jeeves: Leave it to Jeeves, Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest, ... the Springtime, Aunt Agatha Takes the Count


P.G. Wodehouse - 2018
    A young English gentleman and one of the "idle rich", Bertie frequently appears alongside his valet, Jeeves, whose intelligence manages to save Bertie or one of his friends from numerous awkward situations. As the first-person narrator of ten novels and over 30 short stories, Bertie Wooster ranks as one of the most vivid comic creations in popular literature. Jeeves presents the ideal image of the gentleman, being highly competent, dignified, and respectful. Incredibly knowledgeable about topics ranging from horse racing to history, Jeeves has an encyclopedic knowledge of literature and academic subjects. He frequently quotes from Shakespeare and the romantic poets. Well informed about members of the British aristocracy thanks to the club book of the Junior Ganymede Club, he also seems to have a considerable number of useful connections among various servants. Jeeves uses his knowledge and connections to solve problems inconspicuously. Jeeves & Wooster Series: Right Ho, Jeeves Leave It to Jeeves Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest Jeeves and the Hard-boiled Egg Absent Treatment Helping Freddie Rallying Round Old George Doing Clarence a Bit of Good The Aunt and the Sluggard Jeeves Takes Charge Jeeves in the Springtime Aunt Agatha Takes the Count Scoring off Jeeves Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch Jeeves and the Chump Cyril Comrade Bingo The Great Sermon Handicap The Purity of the Turf The Metropolitan Touch The Delayed Exit of Claude and Eustace Bingo and the Little Woman Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest Jeeves and the Hard-boiled Egg Bertie Changes His Mind

Closer


K.L. Slater - 2018
     My ex-husband Shaun and I are still friends. We would do anything for our beautiful little girl, Maisie. But now Shaun has moved in with Joanne and suddenly, Maisie has a brand new family. And there’s something not quite right about it…I know Joanne isn’t everything she says she is. Yet no-one will listen. I need to discover what she’s hiding. Because if I don’t, my daughter will be in terrible danger. The most gripping psychological thriller you’ll read this year from the Kindle top five bestselling author K.L. Slater. If you love The Girl on the Train or Gone Girl, you’ll be absolutely hooked.

The Happiness List


Annie Lyons - 2018
    She hasn’t bumped into many neighbours yet but with her upcoming wedding to plan there’s plenty to keep her busy!Fran is still trying to get used to a life without her husband by her side. It’s hard enough raising two children on her own – she doesn’t have time to even think about dating…Pamela is fed up with being taken for granted by her grown-up children and grumbling husband. She’s ready to shake things up a little, but will her family even notice?So when the three women hear about a ‘happiness course’ starting on Hope Street, surely it’s the perfect opportunity to let their hair down, laugh with new friends and maybe even change their lives in ways they never expected…Don’t miss The Happiness List, a delightfully uplifting story from bestselling author Annie Lyons, coming soon!

Wolves of War


Martin Lake - 2018
    A fast-moving story of the great Viking army. Leif Ormson is a Skald, a story-teller, renowned for his witty tales. His brother, Sigurd is a black-smith, making knives, scythes and horse-shoes. And magnificent weapons of war. But one day, Ivar the Boneless, son of Ragnar Lothbrok, commands the brothers to make him a great sword. And he demands that they accompany his army to England. Leif and Sigurd are thrown into a maelstrom of war and violence. The great Viking army blazes across England, murdering, plundering, killing kings and setting up puppet-rulers in their place. Until now the Vikings had come only to raid and plunder. Now they have come to conquer. Leif and Sigurd face an agonising choice. Do they seek to return to their familiar lives? Or do they stay in England and embrace this uncertain new world of war, wealth and glory? From the author of Land of Blood and Water, The Lost King series and A Love Most Dangerous.,

The Blue Bench


Paul Marriner - 2018
    The body of the Unknown Warrior is coming home, can Britain find peace? '..an important novel..' Margate 1920. The Great War is over but Britain mourns and its spirit is not yet mended.Edward and William have returned from the front as changed men. Together they have survived grotesque horrors and remain haunted by memories of comrades who did not come home. The summer season in Margate is a chance for them to rebuild their lives and reconcile the past.Evelyn and Catherine are young women ready to live life to the full. Their independence has been hard won and, with little knowledge of the cost of their freedom, they are ready to face new challenges side by side.Can they define their own future and open their hearts to the prospect of finding love? Will the summer of 1920 be a turning point for these new friends? As the body of the Unknown Warrior is returned, can the nation find a way forward? '..a brilliant story told brilliantly..''..it is a beautiful book, expertly written, emotive and warm..'

The 21 Escapes of Lt Alastair Cram


David M. Guss - 2018
    

More from Marple's Casebook: Full-Cast BBC Radio 4 Dramatisations


Agatha Christie - 2018
    June Whitfield stars as Miss Jane Marple in seven full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisations of Agatha Christie's endearing Miss Marple stories.Four full-length novels are included:The Moving Finger,They Do It With Mirrors,Nemesis, andSleeping Murder.Also included are three short stories: Tape-Measure Murder,The Case of the Perfect Maid, andSanctuary.Librarian's note: this entry is for the collection, "More from Miss Marple's Casebook." Entries for each of the individual novels and short stories can be found elsewhere on Goodreads,

Goodbye for Now


M.J. Hollows - 2018
    Refusing to fight, Joe stays behind as a conscientious objector battling against the propaganda.On the Western front, George soon discovers that war is not the great adventure he was led to believe. Surrounded by mud, blood and horror his mindset begins to shift as he questions everything he was once sure of.At home in Liverpool, Joe has his own war to win. Judged and imprisoned for his cowardice, he is determined to stand by his convictions, no matter the cost.By the end of The Great War only one brother will survive, but which?

The Annotated Prison Writings of Oscar Wilde


Oscar Wilde - 2018
    The lord in question, High Court justice Sir Alfred Wills, sent Wilde to the cells, sentenced to two years in prison with hard labor for the crime of "gross indecency" with other men. As cries of "shame" emanated from the gallery, the convicted aesthete was roundly silenced.But he did not remain so. Behind bars and in the period immediately after his release, Wilde wrote two of his most powerful works--the long autobiographical letter De Profundis and an expansive best-selling poem, The Ballad of Reading Gaol. In The Annotated Prison Writings of Oscar Wilde, Nicholas Frankel collects these and other prison writings, accompanied by historical illustrations and his rich facing-page annotations. As Frankel shows, Wilde experienced prison conditions designed to break even the toughest spirit, and yet his writings from this period display an imaginative and verbal brilliance left largely intact. Wilde also remained politically steadfast, determined that his writings should inspire improvements to Victorian England's grotesque regimes of punishment. But while his reformist impulse spoke to his moment, Wilde also wrote for eternity.At once a savage indictment of the society that jailed him and a moving testimony to private sufferings, Wilde's prison writings--illuminated by Frankel's extensive notes--reveal a very different man from the famous dandy and aesthete who shocked and amused the English-speaking world.

The Restless Sea


Vanessa de Haan - 2018
    The frozen world of the Russian Arctic convoys may be harsh, but it opens his eyes to a new life.While on leave in the Navy’s secret Scottish harbour, Jack meets Olivia, the cossetted daughter of an officer family. Free to roam, Olivia relishes the new freedom granted by war. But her family – and especially the well-connected Charlie, now a fast-rising pilot – don’t welcome these changes. Least of all the arrival of Jack, the boy who casts doubt on each of their futures.The war inflicts danger and social upheaval like never before. But the most unlikely friendships are forged in times when people live like they don’t want tomorrow to come…

Valerie and Other Stories


Colin Insole - 2018
    In nineteenth-century Paris, Doctor Colbert, stifled by bourgeois expectations, longs for a life purified by art, but his inept adventure with the easel leads him only into degradation and tragedy; in a village in Southeastern Europe, children drum and dance in sinister rites to propitiate a malignant, all-seeing moon; a fey and curious orphan, Valerie, is fostered in a dour and repressed English vicarage, and soon reveals to the vicar’s daughter all the ghostly secrets sequestered in the back lanes and whispering shadows of the market town.Through all these worlds of grotesquerie, enchantment and menace, Colin Insole portrays the irrepressible workings of inhuman reprisal, ever returning to dismantle, with subtle but vicious talons, the schemes of the uncomprehending human protagonists.

Mr Godley's Phantom


Mal Peet - 2018
    Part ghost story, part detective novel and part something else entirely, Mr Godley's Phantom is something of an enigma, with its own distinctive fifties flavour of cigarettes, petrol and mystery.

The Bell of Treason: The Czech Story of the 1938 Munich Agreement


P.E. Caquet - 2018
    I believe it is peace for our time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Go home and get a nice quiet sleep." Winston Churchill commented dryly: "We have chosen shame and will get war." Pierre Caquet's history of the events leading to the Munich Agreement and its aftermath is told for the first time from the point of view of the peoples of Czechoslovakia and the many Germans and others (including Thomas Mann) who had taken refuge there from the Nazis. Basing his account on countless previously unexamined sources including the press, memoirs, private journals, military plans, parliamentary records, film and radio, Pierre Caquet presents the familiar tale of one of the most shameful episodes in modern European history in a tragic new shape.

The Black Earth


Philip Kazan - 2018
    When the Turkish Army occupies Smyrna, Zoë Haggitiris escapes with her family, only to lose everything. Alone in a sea of desperate strangers, her life is touched, for a moment, by a young English boy, Tom Collyer, also lost, before the compassion of a stranger leads her into a new life. Years later when war breaks out, Tom finds himself in Greece and in the chaos of the British retreat, fate will lead him back to Zoë. But he will discover that the war will not end so easily for either of them.

The Final Race: The Incredible World War II Story of the Olympian Who Inspired Chariots of Fire


Eric T. Eichinger - 2018
    He was the most famous Briton at the time, having just won the gold in the Olympic 400-meter race. The story of that race―and the one he didn't run―was told in the popular movie classic Chariots of Fire.But what most of us don't know is what became of Eric Liddell in the years after the credits rolled. As the storm clouds of World War II rolled in, Eric had already made decisions in his life that gave him the resilience to stand tall while others fell into despair. His strength of character led him to choose an uncertain future in China during World War II in order to continue helping the Chinese. He lived purposefully even as his world crumbled and he experienced the horror and deprivations of a Japanese internment camp.Eric's story is a story of hope in the face of uncertainty, resilience in the face of unspeakable odds, and inspiring vision of what life means, even when the final hour comes.The first race you run isn't your most important one. It's the final race that matters most.You won't want to miss this story of an Olympian who chose the better way.

ACROSS THE CHANNEL: WWII NOVEL


Chris Glatte - 2018
     Nazi-occupied France is a dangerous place. Boyhood fantasies of taking the fight to the enemy are fine from the safety of England, but the reality is far different. To survive, the boys must learn to trust one another. Cold, scared and desperate they stumble upon a small country farm occupied by a girl and her father. They’ve little choice but to trust them. Soon, they become the target of a brutal Gestapo manhunt. The boys must harden their hearts to the brutality of a world at war, or be consumed.

The Complete Supernatural Stories


Algernon Blackwood - 2018
    He was also a journalist and a broadcasting narrator. S. T. Joshi has stated that “his work is more consistently meritorious than any weird writer’s except Dunsany’s.” Though Blackwood wrote a number of horror stories, his most typical work seeks less to frighten than to induce a sense of awe.

Queen of the North


Anne O'Brien - 2018
     In her heart she was a traitor. 1399: England’s crown is under threat. King Richard II holds onto his power by an ever-weakening thread, with exiled Henry of Lancaster back to reclaim his place on the throne.For Elizabeth Mortimer, there is only one rightful King – her eight-year-old nephew, Edmund. Only he can guarantee her fortunes, and protect her family’s rule over the precious Northern lands bordering Scotland.But many, including Elizabeth’s husband, do not want another child-King. Elizabeth must hide her true ambitions in Court, and go against her husband’s wishes to help build a rebel army.To question her loyalty to the King places Elizabeth in the shadow of the axe.To concede would curdle her Plantagenet blood. This is one woman’s quest to turn history on its head.

Orwell on Freedom


George Orwell - 2018
    If that is granted, all else follows.’GEORGE ORWELL is one of the world’s most famous writers and social commentators. Through his writing he exposed the unjust sufferings of the poor and unemployed, warned against totalitarianism and defended freedom of speech.This selection, from both his novels and non-fiction, charts his prescient and clear-eyed thinking on the subject of FREEDOM. It ranges from pieces on individual liberty, society and technology, to political liberty, revolution and the importance of free speech. Orwell's ambition to create a fairer and more egalitarian society is essential inspiration as we strive for freedom and equality in today's world.'If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.'

The Royal Ambition Series: The Dreadful Debutante, The Savage Marquess, Miss Fiona's Fancy, The Viscount's Revenge, The Chocolate Debutante, Lady Margery's Intrigue, The Paper Princess


Marion Chesney - 2018
    Here, many threads are skillfully interwoven in a highly entertaining series that never fails to please or fall short of its mark. The Dreadful Debutante: Miss Mira Markham has tried all her life to please her father by acting like the unruly, tomboyish son he always wanted. But when she takes her hoydenish ways to London, she unexpectedly lights up the Season—and makes a most unexpected match. The Savage Marquess: Miss Lucinda Westerville, an innocent country vicar’s daughter, strikes up an unlikely friendship with the wealthy but depraved Marquess of Rockingham, and the two pledge to be man and wife in name only. That is, until Lucinda begins to fall for her own husband—and realizes she may be in over her head. Miss Fiona's Fancy: When her friends bet Fiona that she’ll never catch the attention of the handsome and eligible Marquess of Cleveden, Fiona wagers all she owns that she will. Now she risks losing everything—including her heart. The Viscount's Revenge: When an insolent thief steals his family inheritance at gunpoint, arrogant Lord Charles Hawksborough vows revenge. And when he begins to fall for the impoverished Miss Amanda Colby, he begins to question the wisdom of his impending marriage to the wealthy and beautiful Lady Mary Dane. But Miss Colby is keeping a dangerous secret—one that, if discovered, could set all of London on its ear. The Chocolate Debutante: A known bluestocking, Harriet Tremayne has no intention of marrying, or needing a man. But when she must brave the treacherous waters of London Society to help her niece find a match, she doesn’t count on attracting the attentions of Lord Dangerfield—or the unexpected desires of her unruly heart. Lady Margery's Intrigue: The only man who will dance with confirmed spinster Lady Margery is Charles, the Marquess of Edgecombe, a man Margery simply can’t stand. Lady Margery is ready to give up on finding a match, until the spendthrift habits of her father’s bratty young bride force her to try to snare a rich husband. But the Marquess has other plans for Lady Margery—and she never plans on falling in love. The Paper Princess: When Miss Felicity Channing flees an unwanted marriage match, she hides right under Society’s nose, impersonating the lovely Princess Felicity of Brasnia. But Lord Arthur Bessamy sees through her deception—and sets her heart on fire.

Virgo: The Art of Living Well and Finding Happiness According to Your Star Sign (Pocket Astrology)


Sally Kirkman - 2018
    You are the perfectionist and writer of the zodiac. The signs of the zodiac can give us great insight into our day-to-day living as well as the many talents and qualities we possess.But in an increasingly unpredictable world, how can we make sense of them? And what do they mean?This insightful and introductory guide delves deep into your star sign, revealing unique traits and meanings which you didn't know. Along the way, you will discover how your sign defies your compatibility, how to improve your health and what your gifts are.***The Pocket Astrology series will teach you how to live well and enhance every aspect of your life. From friendship to compatibility, careers to finance, you will discover new elements to your sign and learn about the ancient art of astrology.Other books in the series include: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius,Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces

Odette


Jessica Duchen - 2018
    But at sunset, the swan becomes a woman.This unexpected visitor is Odette, the swan princess – alone, adrift and in danger in 21st-century Britain, entirely dependent on the kindness of strangers. Bird by day, human by night, and with no way to go home, she remains convinced, to Mitzi’s distress, that only a man’s vow of eternal love can break her spell.Mitzi is determined to help Odette, but as the two try to hide the improbable truth, their web of deception grows increasingly tangled. Can they find a way to save Odette before it’s too late?

Testament


Kim Sherwood - 2018
    It's why Eva was closest to her grandfather: a charismatic painter - and a keeper of secrets. So when he dies, she's hit by a greater loss - of the questions he never answered, and the past he never shared.It's then she finds the letter from the Jewish Museum in Berlin. They have uncovered the testimony he gave after his forced labour service in Hungary, which took him to the death camps and then to England as a refugee. This is how he survived.But there is a deeper story that Eva will unravel - of how her grandfather learnt to live afterwards. As she confronts the lies that have haunted her family, their identity shifts and her own takes shape. The testament is in her hands.Kim Sherwood's extraordinary first novel is a powerful statement of intent. Beautifully written, moving and hopeful, it crosses the tidemark where the third generation meets the first, finding a new language to express love, legacy and our place within history.

A Simple Scale


David Llewellyn - 2018
    A single piece of music, and two composers – one American, the other Soviet – but which of them wrote it? How did their lives cross? How were their fortunes shaped by history, and what were the consequences for those they loved?A young Russian, Pavel Grekov, arrives in New York in the October of 2001, and accuses ageing TV composer Sol Conrad of plagiarising a work by his grandfather, Sergey. Conrad’s young PA Natalie is determined to defend her boss, but as she digs deeper she discovers worlds she barely knew about – the labour camps of Siberia, the “Red Scare” of 1950s Hollywood, government oppression, and the plight of gay men in the USA and USSR of the mid-20th Century.Natalie, Sol and Sergey’s stories range across decades and continents, and A Simple Scale moves through narratives of love, death, deceit, the secret police, atom bombs, Classical music and the last days of Hollywood’s “Golden Age”. In a dramatic conclusion, the past and present catches up with them, as the secrecies and betrayals of Sol and Sergey’s lives inform events in 2001, when history is just about to repeat itself. Rich in detail and atmosphere, David Llewellyn explores the points at which the personal and political meet. Throughout, his depiction of ’30s Leningrad, ’50s California and post-9/11 New York is only too believable.

Copley's Hunch


Douglas Clark - 2018
     By a chance meeting, Horton, a Spitfire pilot, and Copley, the commando sergeant of a small raiding party form an alliance to escape Nazi-held France. The two men carry their courage as they journey through the ravages of war-torn country. From hiding in cider barrels, unlikely allies and involvement in a minor-naval engagement, the pair endure moments of breathless peril, tension and action. Back home they are hailed as heroes—the pilot, Horton, especially, as he is the third of three brothers to have escaped from Nazi territory. But the sergeant, Copley, has nagging doubts about Horton’s story. He passes his doubts on to Military Intelligence. A very hush-hush investigation begins. And gradually a strange secret is revealed, and an even stranger conspiracy. An old hand with a new name, Douglas Clark’s venture into the world of Combined Operations is a brilliant success—absorbing as a mystery, gripping as an escape yarn—which is not surprising for he is an old soldier himself. About the author Douglas Clark was born in Lincolnshire in 1919 and died in 1993. He was educated at the University of London and during WWII he served with the Royal Horse Artillery. He wrote over 20 crime novels and under other names, including James Ditton and Peter Hosier.

Prince of Flames


Ben Alderson - 2018
    Family. Poison.This prequel novella is set before the events in Cloaked in Shadow (The Dragori Series Book 1), following Prince Hadrian and the moments leading up to his birthday feast. Readers discover relationships between Hadrian and a handful of characters we meet in Cloaked in Shadow. Read for insight into our prince's mind, and see his reaction to that fateful evening that changes the course of so many lives. *** The prequel novella to The Dragori series by Amazon bestselling author Ben Alderson. ***

Desperate Valour: Triumph at Anzio


Flint Whitlock - 2018
    The planners hoped that the Allied invasion would surprise the Germans and threaten their defensive line in southern Europe. But the invasion stalled a few miles inland and the Allies faced a five-month bloody fight. In the end, American and British troops accomplished one of the great defensive stands of all time, turning defeat into victory.Using previously unpublished archival material, including memoirs from American, British, and German veterans, award-winning historian Flint Whitlock reveals the entire allied and German campaign, never forgetting the experiences of the soldiers in muddy, freezing, water-filled foxholes, struggling to hold off endless waves of infantry assaults, aerial bombardments, and artillery barrages.Desperate Valour is the first comprehensive account of the unrelenting slugfest at Anzio and a stirring chronicle of courage beyond measure.

Leo: The Art of Living Well and Finding Happiness According to Your Star Sign (Pocket Astrology)


Sally Kirkman - 2018
    You are the creative expert and shining light of the zodiac. The signs of the zodiac can give us great insight into our day-to-day living as well as the many talents and qualities we possess. But in an increasingly unpredictable world, how can we make sense of them? And what do they mean? This insightful and introductory guide delves deep into your star sign, revealing unique traits and meanings which you didn't know. Along the way, you will discover how your sign defies your compatibility, how to improve your health and what your gifts are. ***The Pocket Astrology series will teach you how to live well and enhance every aspect of your life. From friendship to compatibility, careers to finance, you will discover new elements to your sign and learn about the ancient art of astrology. Other books in the series include: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius,Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces

The Chameleon


Samuel Fisher - 2018
    Now 800 years old, John wants to tell his story.Looking back over his life, from its beginnings with a medieval anchoress to his current lodgings beside the deathbed of a cold war spy, John pieces together his tale: the love that held him together and, in particular, the reasons for a murder that took place in Moscow fifty years earlier, and that set in train a shattering series of events.Samuel Fisher’s debut, The Chameleon is a love story about books like no other, weaving texts and lives in a family tale that leads the reader into an extraordinary historical journey, a journey of words as much as of places, and a gripping romance.

Cancer: The Art of Living Well and Finding Happiness According to Your Star Sign (Pocket Astrology)


Sally Kirkman - 2018
    You are the home lover and memory keeper of the zodiac. The signs of the zodiac can give us great insight into our day-to-day living as well as the many talents and qualities we possess.But in an increasingly unpredictable world, how can we make sense of them? And what do they mean?This insightful and introductory guide delves deep into your star sign, revealing unique traits and meanings which you didn't know. Along the way, you will discover how your sign defies your compatibility, how to improve your health and what your gifts are.The Pocket Astrology series will teach you how to live well and enhance every aspect of your life. From friendship to compatibility, careers to finance, you will discover new elements to your sign and learn about the ancient art of astrology.Other books in the series include: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius,Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces

Saboteur - The Untold Story of SOE's Youngest Agent at the Heart of the French Resistance


Mark Seaman - 2018
    After the war, he continued to serve with MI6, and so was constrained not to relate any of his experiences. His is an exciting story; time and again he was faced by danger and incipient disaster. He brushed shoulders with some of the worst traitors of the Second World War, and was targeted by the Gestapo, who came within an ace of entrapping him.

The Barefoot Road


Vivienne Vermes - 2018
    The book begins with a young woman found, emaciated and unconscious, in the mountains surrounding a village in Transylvania. When it is discovered that she is of an ethnic group which was violently driven out of the regions many years before, old wounds are reopened as the villagers are reminded of their role in the bloodshed. An uneasy peace is maintained until a young married man falls in love with the girl, and tension begin to rise within the community. The mysterious disappearance of a child causes this tension to mount into hysteria, driving the story to its chilling outcome.

My Darling Winston: The Letters Between Winston Churchill and His Mother


David Lough - 2018
    Many of these intimate letters— between two gifted writers—are published here for the first time, and the exchange of letters between mother and son has never before been published as a correspondence.A significant addition to the Churchill canon, My Darling Winston traces Churchill’s emotional, intellectual, and political development as confided to his primary mentor, his mother. As well as providing a basic narrative of Jenny’s and Winston Churchill’s lives over a forty-year period, My Darling Winston tells the story of a changing mother-son relationship, characterized at the outset by Churchill’s emotional and practical dependence on his mother, but which is dramatically reversed as her life begins to disintegrate tragically towards its end.

The Very White of Love


S.C. Worrall - 2018
    Perfect for readers who enjoyed My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You and Suite Française.Torn apart by war, their letters meant everything…‘My love. I am writing to you without knowing where you are but I will find you after all these long months…’3rd September 1938. Martin Preston is in his second year of Oxford when his world is split in two by a beautiful redhead, Nancy Whelan. A whirlwind romance blossoms in the Buckinghamshire countryside as dark clouds begin to gather in Europe.3rd September 1939. Britain declares war on Germany. Martin is sent to the battlefields of France, but as their letters cross the channel, he tells Nancy their love will keep him safe. Then, one day, his letters stop.3rd September 1940. It’s four months since Nancy last heard from Martin. She knows he is still alive. And she’ll do anything to find him. But what she discovers will change her life forever…

Figurehead


Carly Holmes - 2018
    Mothers turn into trees when the sun goes down; Russian Dolls mourn their missing sisters in rotting houses; men offer sacrifices to the monsters who embody their inner wildness; and murderous demons protect young girls’ virginity. Ranging from flash fiction to novelette, these stories are in turn chilling, playful, and melancholy. They resonate with an unsettling and unsettled anxiety about finding, and losing, one’s place in the world. The bonds of family and of community, both in their fracturing and their healing states, the uneasy relationship between living in the present and yearning for the past, are themes that thread their way through Figurehead. Every tale is rich with landscapes haunted by loss and longing.

Rainsongs


Sue Hubbard - 2018
    Looking out from her window towards the dramatic rise of the Skelligs across the water, she reflects on the loss of Brendan, her husband and charming curator, his death stirring unresolved heartache from years gone by. Alone on the windswept headland, surrounded by miles of cold sea, the past closes in.As the days unfold, Martha searches for a way forward beyond grief, but finds herself drawn into a standoff between the entrepreneur Eugene Riordan and local hill farmer Paddy O'Connell. While the tension between them builds to a crisis that leaves Paddy in hospital, Martha encounters Colm, a talented but much younger musician and poet. Caught between its history and its future, the Celtic Tiger reels with change, and Martha faces redemptive choices that will change her life forever.

Sex Drive: On the Road to a Pleasure Revolution


Stephanie Theobald - 2018
    It's inspired me to further heights! Read it and quiver' – Emma Thompson Arriving in New York with a failing relationship and a body she felt out of touch with, Stephanie Theobald set off on a 3,497 mile trip across America to re-build her orgasm from the ground up. What started as a quest for the ultimate auto-erotic experience became a fantastic voyage into her own body. She takes us from ‘body sex’ classes with the legendary feminist Betty Dodson to an interview with the former US Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, who was fired for suggesting that masturbation should be talked about in schools. Along the way, we are immersed in a weird, countercultural America of marijuana farms and ‘ecosexual sexologists’. Sex Drive is a memoir about desire and pleasure, merging sexuality and spirituality, eighteenth-century porn and enlightenment philosophy. A new sexual revolution has begun – and this time round, it’s all about the women.

That Lucky Old Son: Re-Discovering My Father Through His World War II Bomber Command and POW Experiences


Mark Coté - 2018
    158 Squadron RAF during the Second World War. Writing from a child's point of view, Mark Cote combines known facts with what he imagines his father doing from basic training through to being shot down and captured by the Germans. He poignantly communicates the terror, uncertainty, and fleeting hope felt by the crew, transporting readers back in time to 1940s Europe. Having lost his father when he was only eight years old, Cote embarks on a quest to discover the man who left him too soon, but who left behind a legacy of courage, love, and faith. That Lucky Old Son is a book that will educate, inform, move, and inspire readers of all ages....

Capricorn: The Art of Living Well and Finding Happiness According to Your Star Sign (Pocket Astrology)


Sally Kirkman - 2018
    You are the achiever and status seeker of the zodiac. The signs of the zodiac can give us great insight into our day-to-day living as well as the many talents and qualities we possess. But in an increasingly unpredictable world, how can we make sense of them? And what do they mean? This insightful and introductory guide delves deep into your star sign, revealing unique traits and meanings which you didn't know. Along the way, you will discover how your sign defies your compatibility, how to improve your health and what your gifts are. ***The Pocket Astrology series will teach you how to live well and enhance every aspect of your life. From friendship to compatibility, careers to finance, you will discover new elements to your sign and learn about the ancient art of astrology. Other books in the series include: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius,Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces

Evie and Jack


Glenn Haybittle - 2018
    Here she commences an affair with a Spitfire pilot, Jack Cave. Jack, ashamed of his father who was shot as a coward in France during world war 1 and of his working class background, has invented a new identity for himself as Guy Wentworth.In 1943 Evie joins the SOE. Like Jack, she too now has a false identity. Reports that the Gestapo have infiltrated entire SOE circuits in France have been ignored by London HQ. On the night of her departure she finds a note in her pocket warning her not to trust the man she is travelling with.Evie & Jack is a riveting novel of suspense, deception and love which brings vividly to life the experiences of a Spitfire pilot and an undercover secret agent working in the Gestapo-infested atmosphere of occupied France.

The Cretin Gene


Brendan Ball - 2018
    Reviled in the press and hunted as a murderous agent of North Korean dictator Boh Gi Mon, Horowitz is soon on the run with his nephew 'The Kid', a reclusive arch-nerd geneticist, each seeing the other as in childlike need of his own selfless guidance. As the zombified masses rise in effigy-burning rage against Horowitz and his supposed fifth-columnist cadre, young lab colleague 'Technicia' joins the fight to save intelligent life in the UK while also juggling two male egos and her own secret of the heart.

Well Said, O Toothless One


Nix WhittakerSimon Petrie - 2018
    A collection of short stories that follow the antics of creatures on paws and out of this world.

The Seagull


Tom Stoppard - 2018
    The play opens at a country estate, where a group of friends and relations have gathered to see the first performance of an experimental play, written and staged by the young man of the house, Konstantin. Among the audience are Konstantin's mother, the actress Arkadina, and her lover, the famous novelist Trigorin. Their glamorous presence not only disrupts the performance, but soon takes on a more profound significance in the lives of all those present. This edition of The Seagull includes an introduction by Stoppard which addresses the issues faced by translators since its first appearance in English in 1909.

The Third Reich is Listening: Inside German codebreaking 1939–45


Christian Jennings - 2018
    This fast-moving blend of modern history and popular science is told through colorful personal accounts of the Germans at the heart of the story, including a former astronomer who worked out the British order of battle in 1940, a U-Boat commander on the front line of the Battle of the Atlantic, and the woman from the foreign ministry decrypting Japanese and Italian signals.It investigates how and why a regime as technologically advanced as the Third Reich both succeeded, and failed, in its battle to break their enemy's codes and to use the resultant intelligence effectively, and why they failed to recognize the fact that the Allied had cracked the enigma code.

Psmith in the City & Psmith, Journalist


P.G. Wodehouse - 2018
    Playing cricket for a team run by Psmith's father, Mike meets John Bickersdyke for the first time when he walks behind the bowler's arm, causing Mike to get out on ninety-eight. "Psmith, Journalist" continues the adventures of the silver-tongued Psmith and his friend Mike Jackson. The story begins with Psmith accompanying his fellow Cambridge student Mike to New York on a cricketing tour. Through high spirits and force of personality, Psmith takes charge of a minor periodical, and becomes imboiled in a scandal involving slum landlords, boxing and gangsters – the story displays a strong social conscience, rare in Wodehouse's generally light-hearted works.

Virginia Woolf in Richmond


Peter Fullagar - 2018
    Refuting the common misconception that she disliked the town, this book explores her daily habits as well as her intimate thoughts while living at the pretty house she came to love - Hogarth House. Drawing on information from her many letters and diaries, the editor reveals how Richmond's relaxed way of life came to influence the writer, from her experimentation as a novelist to her work with her husband and the Hogarth Press, from her relationships with her servants to her many famous visitors.

Hometown Tales: Glasgow


Kirsty Logan - 2018
    Some of the tales are fiction and some are narrative non-fiction - they are all powerful, fascinating and moving, and aim to celebrate regional diversity and explore the meaning of home.In these pages on Glasgow, you'll find two unique memoirs. 'The Old Asylum in the Woods' is an intimate, intensely moving account of growing up in the shadow of Woodilee Hospital by author of The Gracekeepers and The Gloaming, Kirsty Logan. 'Glasgow Sang' is a deeply personal journey on foot through the city, from Kelvin Way Bridge to George Square to the statue of La Pasionaria, by Paul McQuade.

Charles Paris: Dead Room Farce: A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation


Jeremy Front - 2018
    He’s starring in a revival of a popular (though hackneyed) 70's farce – and while his fellow actors aren’t exactly who you’d want to find yourself in bed with, he’s happy to be in work.But while there may be comedy on stage, offstage it’s rapidly turning into a whodunnit. First the director drops dead, then another premature death follows soon after when an audio producer doing a promo for the show dies in suspicious circumstances.The cast are hiding some shady secrets, and have plenty of skeletons in their cupboards which they don’t want rattled, but would anyone go as far as murder to protect themselves? Charles is determined to find out, and turns detective in an attempt to find out if foul play is afoot...This witty, stylish dramatisation by Jeremy Front stars Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Skylight, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) as Charles Paris, with Suzanne Burden as his long-suffering wife Frances.

Visiting the Minotaur


Claire Williamson - 2018
    Grown from shifting soils of time and culture, the bull becomes a recurring motif: domesticated, wild, persecuted.

The Coal Boat


Sam Kirk - 2018
    When her escape strategy derails, Nancy is forced to confront the questionable moral fabric of her sheltered world, and carve an alternative path to freedom that challenges her place as a young woman in a changing world. Swept into a heady bohemian London lifestyle, Nancy soon learns that a life lived without restraint comes at a price. As the consequences of her actions mount, she faces a future defined by her past and by life choices made that will reverberate through time. Unapologetic in its exploration of free will within a framework of religious and societal constraint, The Coal Boat is a coming-of-age novel that probes the deepest reaches of aspiration and personal responsibility.

Radclyffe Hall: The Complete Novels


Radclyffe Hall - 2018
    The first table of contents (at the very beginning of the ebook) lists the titles of all novels included in this volume. By clicking on one of those titles you will be redirected to the beginning of that work, where you'll find a new TOC that lists all the chapters and sub-chapters of that specific work.

The Penguin Book of English Song: Seven Centuries of Poetry from Chaucer to Auden


Richard Stokes - 2018
    The Penguin Book of English Song draws together a great variety of English poetry (including Irish, Scots and Welsh writers) that has reached a wider audience through the magic of music. Richard Stokes's rich anthology of verse stretches from the fourteenth century to the twentieth, collecting poems that have inspired musical settings by one hundred English poets, along with a treasure trove of illuminating notes and marginalia about their lives, work and, often, their approach to music.Stokes gathers together in a single volume a huge amount of information about English song that will assist musicians in performing these works, and enlighten all those enthusiasts who delight in the fusion of words and music that has produced countless moments of incandescent magic.

A Cruel Captivity: Prisoners of the Japanese - Their Ordeal and the Legacy


Ellie Taylor - 2018
    Some had to endure the inhumane conditions during hazardous journeys on the 'hellships' and all suffered appalling cruelty, starvation, disease and prolonged degradation on an epic scale. Yet these were the fortunate ones - many thousands perished and their graves were unmarked.The book also examines the differing mental and physical effects that the prisoners' captors' cruel treatment had on them. The author's handling of the 'legacy' of their experiences during the post-war years makes this moving book particularly important. For a full understanding of this dreadful aspect of the Second World War, A Cruel Captivity is a must-read.