The Dog at the Gate: Murder in the Cotswolds


James Ignizio - 2015
    Just as it seems that all hope has vanished, he's informed that he is the heir to his great aunt's estate in the bucolic English village of Chambury. Once there, he discovers that his inheritance also includes his late aunt's grieving dog, a vintage typewriter, a mysterious key, and an entanglement in a series of unsolved murders. *****James Ignizio is the author of more than a dozen books, several short stories, and over 350 articles. Included among his novels are "The Dog at the Gate" and the award-winning "The Last English Village," two cozy mysteries that take place in the Cotswold region of England.

Saving Missy: Free sampler


Beth Morrey - 2019
    Stubborn. Terribly lonely.But everyone deserves a second chance… A dazzling debut for 2020 – are you ready to meet Missy Carmichael? Missy Carmichael’s life has become small.Grieving for a family she has lost or lost touch with, she’s haunted by the echoes of her footsteps in her empty home; the sound of the radio in the dark; the tick-tick-tick of the watching clock.Spiky and defensive, Missy knows that her loneliness is all her own fault. She deserves no more than this; not after what she’s done. But a chance encounter in the park with two very different women opens the door to something new.Another life beckons for Missy, if only she can be brave enough to grasp the opportunity. But seventy-nine is too late for a second chance. Isn’t it?

Dancing on Deansgate


Freda Lightfoot - 2003
    But when the Blitz reaches Manchester, she is locked in the cellar by her feckless mother, Lizzie. As bombs rain down from a sky turned blood red with flame, Jess waits for Lizzie to return.But fortunes are fickle, and soon Jess finds herself packed off to live with her tyrant Uncle Bernie, a bullying black marketeer. Though he treats her like a servant, she seeks refuge in the Sally Army and her natural musical talent offers both an escape route and the chance for love.But Uncle Bernie never forgives his niece for refusing to join his illegal schemes and threatens to deprive Jess of her hard-won freedom once and for all. This is a sweeping saga of hope and resilience perfect for fans of Kitty Neale and Rosie Goodwin. Praise for Dancing on Deansgate ‘A heart-wrenching story’ 5* Reader review‘It drew me in straight away’ 5* Reader review‘Another gem from a great writer’ 5* Reader review‘A compelling story of separation and hardship, and heartache overcome at last’ 5* Reader review

Rickshaw


David McGrath - 2015
    In a last-ditch effort to sort something out, he rents a rickshaw, propelling him into a frantic sub-culture of criminals, misfits and lost souls. Rickshaw is a dangerous bedlam of close calls and near misses and its passengers are the drunken, beaten down and stranded. To work rickshaw, Irish must take a lesson in stamina and shift up through his emotional gears but no matter how hard he pedals, always hot on his heels, is his past. Hilarious, poignant and razor sharp, this debut novel captures the underbelly of London’s West End through a stunningly, gimlet eye and electrifying energy.

Murder and the Pantomime Cat


Lesley Cookman - 2018
    Among the cast is Clemency, an old acquaintance of Libby Sarjeant and Fran Wolfe. She is making her return to the professional stage, encouraged by her mother Dame Amanda Knight, whom Libby and Fran met on a previous adventure.But when one objectionable member of the cast is found dead, Dame Amanda and heavyweight of the English Stage, Sir Andrew McColl, call in Libby, Fran and their friends to prevent the wrong person being charged with murder and the Nethergate pantomime from turning into a disastrous melodrama.

Uhtred the Bold: Earls of Northumbria Book 1


H.A. Culley - 2019
    Culley does an artful job of piecing together a story line that parallels what is known. Strong writing of the characters and a good dose of action and intrigue make a worthy read. H A Culley has long been a favourite of mine and this book does not disappoint. Really enjoyed this series. The books skip along at a good pace. The characters both real and fictional are brought to life in medieval Britain. ABOUT THE BOOK This novel follows on from H A Culley's successful series about the Anglo-Saxon Kings of Northumbria Many will have heard of Bernard Cornwall’s hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, but what of the real Uhtred? He was an Anglo-Saxon noble of the tenth and eleventh century who became Earl of Northumbria. This novel is based on Uhtred’s life. In the late tenth century Northumbria was surrounded by potential enemies: the Scots to the North, the Danes in the South of the region and Viking raiders from across the North Sea. Uhtred, the elder son of the Earl of Bernicia, fights and wins his first battle against a horde of Norsemen when he is fourteen and continues to face external enemies throughout his life. However, he has to contend with enemies within his own family as well. His father is jealous of his success and disowns him and his younger brother wants him dead so that he can succeed to the earldom. He survives several attempts on his life but then the Scots invade and besiege Durham, where Uhtred has left his wife and child believing it to be a place of safety. He must unite the disparate parts of Northumbria under his leadership if he is to stand any chance of defeating the Scots invaders and so save his family. Meanwhile, across the sea Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark and Norway, and his son Cnut make plans to invade Northumbria as a prelude to seizing the English throne.

The Season for Second Chances: A Cornish Christmas Novella


Ruth Saberton - 2017
    This heartwarming new Christmas read from the author of the bestselling Polwenna Bay series is perfect for fans of Poldark and Rosamunde Pilcher. At the end of a hectic year, Grace Anders is looking forward to a quiet Christmas at the family home in Cornwall. Tucked away on Bodmin Moor, Hallows House is the perfect place to relax by the fire and catch up with loved ones. The last thing Grace expects, or wants, is the arrival of warring family members or the unexpected return of the man who broke her heart a lifetime ago. But as the weather closes in and people arrive at Hallows to shelter from the blizzard, family feuds and old heartaches have to be set aside. Can a sprinkling of snow and some Cornish Christmas magic make this the season for second chances after all?

Paradise Lane


Elizabeth Gill - 2010
    He's been her best friend since she was a child, and she can't imagine life without him. What shocks her, however, is the reaction of her mother and father. Annabel knows that her parents disapprove of her forthright opinions, but their displeasure is both unexpected and unaccountable. As they permit the engagement, however, she decides to put it out of her mind. But before she can be married, tragedy strikes, and only then does Annabel learn of the shocking secret that her parents have kept from her. Determined to learn more, she travels to Durham on a personal search that will change everything.

Revelation


Jo Fenton - 2020
    Manchester, 1989A student, Rick, is found dead in halls of residence.His friends get caught up in the aftermath: Dan, who was in love with Rick; and Becky, who is in love with Dan.Their fraught emotions lead them into dark places – particularly a connection to a mysterious Kabbalistic sect.Will Becky discover who killed Rick in time to save her best friend?

It's Killing Jerry


Sharn Hutton
    For treachery, blackmail and murder.He might be saving the world in his imagination as an MI5 agent, but Jerry's real life boss, wife and ex are all sick of his shenanigans and figure they’d be better off without him.More use dead than alive, he winds up on the news, reported missing and presumed murdered, his fate a mystery to all but one person. Lies used to make life easier, but now one thing’s for sure: being Jerry is murder.

The Convenience of Lies


Geoffrey Seed - 2014
     McCall is persuaded to investigate Ruby's disappearance. But he is drawn into a dangerous conspiracy of spies, double agents and corrupt politicians whose intrigues will have him running for his life. The Convenience of Lies is both a love story and a taut, literary thriller. It is a follow up to the author's acclaimed debut novel, A Place of Strangers - a book which one American reviewer said put him "...in the line of successors to Le Carré." Praise for Geoffrey Seed 'Seed is a brilliant Writer.' - Valerie Byron. Geoffrey Seed is an ex-Daily Mail journalist who later specialised in producing major TV investigations for programmes such as BBC Panorama and Granada's World in Action.

Countryman's Lot: Tales from the Dales


Max Hardcastle - 1991
    One day, they'll sell their cramped city-centre antiques shop and the overflowing upstairs flat and relocate to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. When a smallholding in a remote Dales village comes on the market, it seems like the answer to their prayers.

The Flower Farm (Applemore Bay #2)


Rachael Lucas - 2022
    

Inventions of the March Hare: Poems 1909-1917


T.S. Eliot - 1996
    Alfred Prufrock” as well as ribald verse and other youthful curios. “Perhaps the most significant event in Eliot scholarship in the past twenty-five years” (New York Times Book Review). Edited by Christopher Ricks.

Anne of Cleves: Unbeloved


D. Lawrence-Young - 2018
    1537. Henry VIII’s beloved third wife, Jane Seymour, has just died in childbirth. The king needs a new wife. Shown a flattering portrait of Anne of Cleves, Henry commits himself to marrying her. As soon as she arrives in England the lovesick and impatient king rides through the night to meet his future wife. This rushed and unplanned rendezvous has shocking results. He thinks that she looks nothing like the sweet and innocent Anne he saw in the portrait; she is shocked at his coarse and impulsive behaviour. Now Henry wants to renege on his promise - but the king must also do right by his kingdom. Thomas Cromwell, his wily adviser, is asked by Henry to provide a solution to his problem. The fate of Anne hangs in the balance. Will the blameless and wronged wife have her hopes fulfilled, or will she be sent to the Tower and share Anne Boleyn end? Recommended for fans Alison Weir, Philippa Gregory and The Tudors. Praise for 'Anne of Cleves: Unbeloved'. …very easy and enjoyable read, filling in my ignorance of one of Henry’s lesser-known wives. Iain K. Burns. Past Chief Executive of Macmillan Group (Worldwide) D.Lawrence-Young is the author of numerous historical novels, including 'Six Million Accusers', 'Catherine Howard' and 'Arrows over Agincourt'. Praise for Anne of Cleves: Unbeloved. …very easy and enjoyable read, filling in my ignorance of one of Henry’s lesser-known wives. Iain K. Burns. Past Chief Executive of Macmillan Group (Worldwide)