**Elizabeth Day’s new novel Magpie is available to pre-order now.** AN OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEAR A gripping story of betrayal, privilege and hypocrisy, set in the unassailable heart of the British establishment. ‘A terrifying, hilarious, brilliantly written original with a wit to die for’ Phoebe Waller-Bridge ‘As the train pressed on, I realised that my life was in the process of taking a different direction, plotted according to a new constellation. Because, although I didn't know it yet, I was about to meet Ben and nothing would ever be the same again.’ Martin Gilmour is an outsider. When he wins a scholarship to Burtonbury School, he doesn’t wear the right clothes or speak with the right kind of accent. But then he meets the dazzling, popular and wealthy Ben Fitzmaurice, and gains admission to an exclusive world. Soon Martin is enjoying tennis parties and Easter egg hunts at the Fitzmaurice family’s estate, as Ben becomes the brother he never had. But Martin has a secret. He knows something about Ben, something he will never tell. It is a secret that will bind the two of them together for the best part of 25 years. At Ben’s 40th birthday party, the great and the good of British society are gathering to celebrate in a haze of champagne, drugs and glamour. Amid the hundreds of guests – the politicians, the celebrities, the old-money and newly rich – Martin once again feels that disturbing pang of not-quite belonging. His wife, Lucy, has her reservations too. There is disquiet in the air. But Ben wouldn’t do anything to damage their friendship. Would he? ‘The twists and turns that the novel takes are never predictable and the novel becomes as unsettling as it is involving. One of those books that a person reads in one day because you absolutely have to know how it turns out’ John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

The Party

If you could travel back in time, the period from 1660 to 1700 would make one of the most exciting destinations in history. It’s the age of Samuel Pepys and the Great Fire of London, bawdy comedy and the libertine court of Charles II, Christopher Wren in architecture, Henry Purcell in music and Isaac Newton in science. In The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain, Ian Mortimer answers the crucial questions that a prospective traveller to seventeenth-century Britain would ask.

The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain

It is the twenty-first century and on Mars a dedicated group of pioneers - among them some of Earth's finest brains - struggle to change the face of the planet. Science fiction writer Martin Gibson finally gets a chance to visit the research colony on the Red Planet. It's a dream come true - until he discovers the difficulties and perils of survival on another world… and the very real terror it holds.

The Sands of Mars

Human, Animal is an ode to the wild, an elegy for what we have lost and a reproof of our society's inability to find common ground. Since the death of his brother, veteran dairy farmer George has been struggling to keep the family business afloat. His troubles only worsen when animal rights activists descend on his cowshed one morning to film content for their social media. The fallout is unprecedented, especially as George's youngest child appears to side with the activists. As the family navigate the real-world consequences of going viral, George's elderly mother sleepwalks back to her youth, and a secret she has carried with her for decades – one that could change everything for them all.

Human, Animal

BLISS IS BACK... AND THIS TIME HE'S TWICE THE THREAT. Jimmy Bliss’s first unsolved case is proving to be a puzzle. Despite an original investigation and subsequent case reviews, the police still do not have a suspect in the 1999 murder of a local authority worker. The only lead Bliss and his three new colleagues have is the recent unearthing of the murder weapon. But when that takes them no further, they realise their only chance of success is to find fresh evidence missed in the original case. The reinvestigation is starting to look hopeless when in steps a shadowy figure from Jimmy’s past. The man has a favour to ask, and Bliss a debt to repay. With his loyalty put to the test, can he be convinced the request is genuinely for the greater good? Meanwhile, the violent executions of two young drug runners are the first lethal blows in a war between organised county lines drug gangs. Bliss is asked to act as the Senior Investigating Officer. Working with his Major Crime Unit colleagues, he professes to align himself with one of the gangs to ensure a peaceful end to hostilities. But will they call his bluff and see his act for what it is? Bliss’s strategy prompts an unexpected reaction in one psychopathic loose cannon, resulting in threats of violence and the spread of fear. And when those threats become actions, will Jimmy and his colleagues be caught in the line of fire…?

DI  Bliss

Something More to Say

The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise attributed to Sun Tzu. This version by Magpie Audio offers the original 13 chapters in their entirety. Stripped of all notes and commentary, it adopts the classic translation by Lionel Giles, dispenses with the numbering of paragraphs, and is read by British narrator and actor, Greg Wagland.

The Art of War (Unabridged)

A Christmas Carol is a work of power and beauty. It has delighted and enthralled readers since it was first published in 1843. Perhaps Charles Dickens' best-loved work, the story follows the trials and tribulations of Ebenezer Scrooge, man of business and notorious skinflint even by the City's stringent standards, who is taken on a journey of self-discovery by his late business partner, the spirit Jacob Marley, with the help of three supernatural apparitions: the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come. Many adaptations, be they on film, television, or in the theatre, fail to capture it whole, often reducing it to over-sentimentalised syrup. Certainly there is pathos and sentimentality here in good measure, there are tears to be shed in the company of the Cratchit family and Tiny Tim, but there is so much more: politics, religion, morality, social history, London low life, London high life, and a large measure of Christmas cheer. Vivid scenes describing festive foodstuffs on display on snowy London pavements; the shocking, squalid vision of two children, Ignorance and Want; the pivotal scene in which Scrooge is released from his engagement are all essential, all interconnected, all enthralling. A Christmas Carol is a book that deserves to be heard in its unabridged form and in this un-stuffy, vibrant reading for Magpie Audio, narrator Greg Wagland brings the story to life.

A Christmas Carol (Unabridged)

This wide-ranging collection comprises the following six short stories by Joseph Conrad:Youth: A Narrative (1902), Karain: A Memory (1898), An Outpost of Progress (1898), The Lagoon (1898), Amy Foster (1909), The Anarchist - A Desperate Tale (1903) Youth: A Narrative is an epic tale of a perilous voyage under sail to Bangkok, with a cargo of coal, narrated by Charles Marlow. An Outpost of Progress, a darkly comic tale, set in an African ivory-trading station, is very much a prelude to Heart of Darkness. Amy Foster is about a Polish man shipwrecked on the English coast and his subsequent alienation, loneliness and love. The Lagoon and Karain: A Memory are gripping tales from the Malay archipelago. The Anarchist charts the journey of a skilled mechanic from Paris to a desolate cattle station in South America, via Devil's Island.

Six Short Stories (Unabridged)

A Personal Record is a "fragment of biography", an autobiographical work by Joseph Conrad, published in 1912. It is also a masterpiece of atmospheric writing and the main contemporary source to detail his early life. Conrad, Polish by birth, who goes on to become one of the greatest novelists of the English language, describes his childhood and adolescence, discusses his forebears, one of whom fought on the side of Napoleon and ate a Lithuanian dog, the exile of his parents, the death of his mother and his relationship with his Uncle Tadeusz. He takes us to the Alps with his tutor, to Marseilles with the pilots, to the freezing fog-bound docks of Rouen with his battered manuscript of Almayer's Folly. But Conrad has an overriding object: this memoir beautifully interweaves the tales of why he went to sea and how he came to be a writer. Its digressive structure is precisely what makes it a magical and timeless work about exile, destiny, and art. It is read by Greg Wagland.

A Personal Record (Unabridged)

Apologia Pro Vita Sua (A Defence Of His Life) by Cardinal Newman offers a marvellous insight into the mind of a devout Christian, a colossal figure of the nineteenth century. It is, moreover, one of the greatest spiritual autobiographies ever written in the English language, laying out the development of John Henry Newman's religious opinions up to the year 1845 when he finally converted to Roman Catholicism. It was Charles Kingsley's withering and defamatory attack which prompted its writing, giving Newman 'ten weeks of anxious work', as he pieced together the evolution of his beliefs. Newman's beautiful prose has rightly been described as 'regal', the scholarly arguments are crystal clear and the structure reassuringly chronological; his utter demolition of Kingsley's accusations (especially that of untruthfulness) at the end of the Apologia is meticulous, inexorable and truly awe-inspiring. It is read by Greg Wagland.

Apologia Pro Vita Sua - A Defence of One's Life (Unabridged)

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a chilling novella written by Robert Louis Stevenson and published in 1886. The subject matter may be partly that of a shilling shocker, but the whole is executed with great panache and a fine Gothic sensibility. Lawyer Gabriel Utterson leads us apace through the rain-swept streets of Victorian London in pursuit of the diminutive but thoroughly monstrous Mr. Hyde. The upright Dr. Jekyll, inexplicably Hyde's patron and defender, grows increasingly reclusive, and Utterson is further alarmed by the bizarre alterations made by Jekyll to his Last Will and Testament. Robert Louis Stevenson here explores the duality of man, examines concepts of good and evil and the desire to escape the straightjacket of social rectitude whilst keeping up appearances and avoiding the consequences. But like his other enduring classic, Treasure Island, it is much more than that: it is a thrilling tale brilliantly told.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Unabridged)

M. R. James wrote, arguably, the finest supernatural tales in English literature, and this collection contains the best of them, including 'Canon Alberic's Scrapbook', 'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come To You, My Lad', 'Lost Hearts', 'Casting the Runes', and 'Count Magnus'. James was something of an actor and gifted storyteller and read his tales aloud to select gatherings on many a Christmas Eve. His intention, he said, was to implant in his listener the idea that, 'if I am not careful, something of this kind might happen to me!' James (1862-1936) was an English medieval scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge, and then Eton College. His ghost stories are beautifully crafted, ranging from the insidiously unsettling to the totally terrifying; his characters may catch the slightest movement out of the corner of their eye or hear, in the depths of the night, an indistinct rustling from a neighbouring bed. His professional interest in antiquarianism pervades many stories. He uses everyday contemporary settings like houses, omnibuses, hotels, golf courses, schools, and beaches, making the intrusion of the supernatural that much more unnerving. For Magpie Audio, narrator Greg Wagland relishes the opportunity to raise a goose bump or two.

Five Ghost Stories (Unabridged)

Classic adventure from the million copy bestseller Jack Higgins In the end all roads lead to hell. It’s 1944 and Germany is facing its final defeat. Five thousand miles across the Allied dominated Atlantic, twenty-two men and five nuns aboard the Barquentine Deutschland are battling home to Kiel. Among them are a U-boat ace captured in a raid on Falmouth. A female American doctor caught in the nightmare of flying bombs. A gunboat commander who’s fought from the Solomons to the Channel and a rear admiral desperate to get some of the action. Allies and enemies, men and women, the hunters and the haunted all drawn into the eye of the storm.

Storm Warning

A classic thriller from Jack Higgins, the undisputed master of adrenalin packed adventure and the bestselling author of ‘The Eagle has Landed’ It’s 1963 and the eve of John F.Kennedy’s historic visit to Berlin. Locked away inside the impregnable fortress of Schloss Neustadt, Father Sean Conlin, survivor of Dachau and lifelong champion of human freedom is fighting to deny his jailers their ultimate goal. On this momentus day, when the whole world is watching they must make him admit to being a CIA hireling. But the West is determined to save him, and gambling with their lives a small band of men begin a daring rescue mission that could change the course of history.

Day of Judgment

In 1959, British agents masterminded the escape of the Dalai Lama from Tibet. Three years later, Paul Chavasse is doing it all over again… A vitally important scientist, holding intelligence that could shift the balance of world power, is being held in China. British secret agent Paul Chavasse, responsible for extracting the Dalai Lama from under Chinese noses, is the perfect man to slip through the border, locate the scientist and bring him back to the West. But Chavasse’s nerve, stamina and loyalties will all be tested as he finds the Chinese are reluctant to let their asset go without a fight…

Paul Chavasse series

Year of the Tiger

Somewhere in Germany was hidden a manuscript that would rock Western Europe to its foundations: the testament of Caspar Schulz. Once a prominent Nazi, and long believed to be dead, Schultz could soon be hailed as the author of the most shattering confessions ever to make print. Paul Chavasse, British Intelligence's toughest trouble-shooter, was hired to track the former Nazi down and secure the manuscript. But he soon discovered that he wasn't the only one who wanted to get his hands on the book. And some of his rivals would go to any lengths – including murder – to get it.

The Testament of Caspar Schultz

Super-spy Paul Chavasse – one of Jack Higgins’s most extraordinary heroes – embarks on a mission to Albania, only to find himself at the centre of a deadly double-cross, fighting for his life. It’s a trip that agent Paul Chavasse will never forget. His destination: the isolated republic of Albania on the Adriatic coast, at a time when the regime is at its most repressive and the people live in daily fear of the ruthless secret police. His job: to find a double agent whose cover has been blown and put him out of commission, permanently. But what Chavasse doesn’t know is that deep within the twisting channels of the perilous coastal marshes, someone has set a trap for him – someone who holds the keys of hell.

The Keys of Hell

The death of a gangster draws super-spy Paul Chavasse into a breathtaking adventure on the high seas – an unforgettable tale from one of the true masters of modern thriller writing, the bestselling author of Midnight Runner and The Keys of Hell. Caught in the nets of a local fishing boat, the body of gangland boss Harvey Preston is dragged from the English Channel, wrapped from head to toe in heavy chain. British intelligence suspects a connection with a cross-channel smuggling ring. But as undercover agent Paul Chavasse embarks on what will be one of the most dangerous cases in his extraordinary career, he soon discovers that this is no small-time operation – and the ruthless men behind it will stop at nothing to protect their precious cargo.

A Fine Night for Dying

New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor has joined with Heather Webb to create this unforgettably romantic novel of the Great War. August 1914. England is at war. As Evie Elliott watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes—as everyone does—that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafes of Paris. But as history tells us, it all happened so differently… Evie and Thomas experience a very different war. Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict—but how?—and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war he also faces personal battles back home where War Office regulations on press reporting cause trouble at his father’s newspaper business. Through their letters, Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears—and grow ever fonder from afar. Can love flourish amid the horror of the First World War, or will fate intervene? Christmas 1968. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris—a cherished packet of letters in hand—determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one final letter is waiting for him…

Last Christmas in Paris

This unabridged chapter, titled Witch Mania, is from Charles Mackay's evergreen work, Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds. Published in 1841 it is a stylish and comprehensive dissection of the witch mania which beset much of Europe in the 16th and 17th century. In his easygoing journalistic style Mackay describes in some detail many celebrated outbreaks of this hysteria including the trials of Dr. Fian and Gellie Duncan in Scotland, the progress of Matthew Hopkins through East Anglia as the self-styled Witch-Finder General, and further episodes in New England, Wurzburg and Geneva. Herein are speeches made from the dock, the scaffold, from the foot of the 'bonnie fire' itself, gruesome accounts of the many tortures endured and several chilling spells and incantations. It begins with a discussion of medieval attitudes to the devil and Satan, misinterpretations of Mosaic Law, of what comprised a typical Witches' Sabbath, of the brutal extirpation of the Knights Templar and the brave but futile resistance of the little-known Stedinger in Holland.'Witch Mania' is, in short, not only an exciting introduction to the history of witchcraft and a worthy addition to the libraries of folklorists, social historians and students of Wicca, but also a moving memorial to the countless innocent lives lost. Greg Wagland narrates for Magpie Audio.

Witch Mania: The History of Witchcraft (Unabridged)

In fading light on the Thames Estuary near London, as Charles Marlow and his companions relax on deck, waiting for the turn of the tide, he tells of the time he turned 'freshwater sailor' on the River Congo. His perilous journey upriver in a little steamboat with a band of white colonialists and a group of cannibals takes him closer to the coveted ivory, closer to Kurtz the rogue agent, closer to certain unspeakable rites and the heart of darkness. Here we encounter the darkness of the jungle; the darkness of forced labour, cruelty, and death; and that darkness that exists in the 'civilized' human heart. Serialised in three parts in 1899, this book was first published in 1902. Joseph Conrad, considered one of greatest novelists in the English language, was born in Poland in 1857, only learning to speak the language fluently in his 20s and always with a strong Polish accent. Frequently, he touches on themes connected with the sea and colonialism, for he had travelled the world as a merchant seaman. He had even skippered a steamboat called Roi des Belges in King Leopold II's private fiefdom of the Congo; these experiences and encounters find a home in this most disturbing and claustrophobic of stories.

Heart of Darkness (Unabridged)

Atticus Perennis, prefect of the Roman fleet, waits restlessly in Carthage. His crew is agitated, as they wait on edge for news from Rome, hoping the powers-that-be send more ships to help his Carthaginian forces put down a rebel mercenary army. When word reaches them that a fleet is on their way, it seems there might be an end in sight to the ceaseless violence. However, the optimism does not last long. When an act of treachery by the Carthaginian side is committed against their Roman brothers in arms, the wheels of counter-revenge, bloodshed and savagery are set in motion. As treachery and deception threaten the lives of Atticus and his men, all sides must come to a final stand. John Stack was born and lives in County Cork. He is married with three children, and is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Masters of the Sea series.

Mercenary of Rome

Treachery

When a torched body is found in a country lane, DI Bliss and Chandler are called in to investigate. The detectives are drawn towards recent missing person reports and believe their victim will prove to be one of them. Bliss thinks he knows which, and fears the outcome if he is proven right. Soon the body is identified, and Bliss and Chandler discover evidence suggesting this murder might be a terrorist attack. Meanwhile, someone from Bliss’s past needs his help, and soon he is juggling his personal life with the demanding case. To make matters more complicated, MI5 and the Counter-Terrorist Unit are called in to help solve the case. But are they on the right track? Bliss and Chandler soon find themselves in a race against time, and this might just be their most challenging case yet…

DI Bliss

If Fear Wins

One winter's night, a lone figure arrives on foot in a remote Pennine village. The next morning, as the first heavy snow begins to fall, a man's body is discovered in the village churchyard. Anne Tilston, one of three sisters living in a brooding run-down house in the shadow of the church, realises that the dead man is her father, a disgraced former senior police officer long estranged from his family. As DCI Kenny Murrain's team arrive in the village to investigate the unexplained death, a further body is discovered in a nearby field – a young man from the village with no apparent connection to Tilston or his daughters. With the snow continuing to fall, another body is discovered, and Murrain finds himself stranded with his team in the sisters' house with a seemingly motiveless killer waiting outside in the night. “A talent to be reckoned with … A strong story line, muscular prose and a real sense of pace…a police procedural for a new age.” DAILY MAIL

DCI Kenny Murrain

Snow Fallen

The bestselling author of the compelling DI Bliss crime series is back with another stunning novel. WHEN DEATH BECOMES THE KINDEST CUT OF ALL When slices of flesh and body parts are discovered in different areas of the country, DI Bliss and his team are tasked with running the operation. After Bliss realises the victims have been subjected to a specific form of torture, it leads him to a cold case involving the brutal and bloody murder of a woman in London twenty-six years earlier. As the team discover links between their victims, the murdered woman, and gangland crime, they begin a dangerous investigation into both the past and the present. But Bliss is stumped, unable to decide if the current spate of mutilations are acts of revenge or the result of ageing criminals seeking to hide their despicable actions. Following a leak to the media, Bliss’s reaction may have dire consequences. With the hunt for the victims at fever point, Bliss uncovers evidence steering him in the direction of one particular individual. The only problem being, his prime suspect is the one person it cannot possibly be. When Bliss orders a sting operation, the astonishing truth is revealed. And that’s when things really start to go wrong… The stunning DI Bliss series of fast-paced police thrillers will appeal to fans of authors like Michael Connelly, Joy Ellis, Peter James, Robert Bryndza and Angela Marsons. Tony J Forder is also the bestselling author of Degrees of Darkness, Scream Blue Murder and Cold Winter Sun. Early ARC reviews for Slow Slicing: “I could almost smell and feel the fear due to the writing...” “I believe this book deserves more than 5 stars and I highly recommend Slow Slicing as well as the other books in the series.” “The darkest of the Bliss books thus far, this will have your mind working overtime. Absolutely brilliant.” “Absolutely Chilling ...The best in the series ....Brilliant.” “Absolutely loved this and highly recommend it, as I do all the books in the Bliss series.” Reviews for other works in the DI Bliss series: “The author is hugely talented and ranks, in my opinion, with the likes of Peter James and Val McDermid.” Maggie James – bestselling author “Just a word of warning - prepare to be in tears, on the edge of your seat and gobsmacked in equal measure. A triumph!” Liz Mistry – bestselling author "Brilliantly written and a fascinating read that, in my opinion, could happily stand shoulder to shoulder with works from the likes of Rankin and Connelly." Steve Robb – BookieWookie blogsite

Slow Slicing

A skeletal body is unearthed in a wooded area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. DI James Bliss, together with DC Penny Chandler, investigate the case and discover that the young, female victim had been relocated from its original burial site. A witness is convinced that a young female was struck by a vehicle back in the summer of 1990, and that police attended the scene. However, no record exists of either the accident or the reported victim. As the case develops, two retired police officers are murdered. The two are linked with others who were on duty at the time a road accident was reported. As Bliss and Chandler delve deeper into the investigation, they start to question whether senior officers may have been involved in the murder of the young women who was buried in the woods. As each link in the chain is put under duress, so is Bliss who clashes with superiors and the media. When his team receives targeted warnings, Bliss will need to decide whether to drop the case or to pursue those responsible. Will Bliss walk away in order to keep his career intact or will he fight no matter what the cost? And is it possible the killer is much closer than they imagined?

Bad to the Bone

Book number eight in the D I Bliss series. When dark desires have no limitations, anything is fair game. After a young woman is found strangled to death, Bliss is called to the scene. When he learns that one of his business cards was found among the victim's clothing, and he is told what was written on the back of it, Bliss is immediately troubled. The card was one of five he handed out to trafficked young women he and his team had previously rescued from a shipping container. When he sees the victim, Bliss realises she was not one of those saved that day. So whose card does she have? Any why? And is it connected to her murder? The murder investigation proves to be more complex and challenging than the team could possibly have imagined. But just as they think they have it figured out, they learn that depravity has no boundaries...

The Autumn Tree

In 1970, Harold Stamp, a retarded twenty-year-old was convicted on disputed evidence and a retracted confession of brutally murdering his grandmother. Less than three years later he is dead, driven to suicide by isolation and despair. Thirty years on, Jonathan Hughes, an anthropologist specializing in social stereotyping, comes across the case by accident. He finds alarming disparities in the evidence and has little doubt that Stamp's conviction was a terrible miscarriage of justice. But how far is Hughes prepared to go in the search for justice? Is the forgotten story of one friendless young man compelling enough to make him leave his books and face his own demons? And with what result? If Stamp didn't murder Grace Jeffries then somebody else did… “A powerful, acute and vivid work from a staggeringly talented writer.” OBSERVER

Disordered Minds

The story of one of the most remarkable – and feared – British aircraft of the Second World War: the de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito fighter-bomber. Nicknamed the 'wooden wonder' for its balsawood frame, the two-man Mosquito excelled in several different roles, from reconnaissance to the bombing of sensitive priority targets. Following a Mosquito raid on the main Berlin broadcasting station on 30 January 1943, which succeeded in removing Hermann Goering from the airwaves, the Luftwaffe chief observed ruefully: 'It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I turn green and yellow with envy.' From the summer of that year, as RAF Bomber Command intensified its saturation-bombing campaign against German cities and industrial centres, Mosquitos were used by the RAF Pathfinder Force, which marked targets for night-time bombing, to potent and devastating effect. David Price's involving and fast-paced narrative traces the contrasting wartime fortunes of a number of Mosquito crews, alongside which the development and operational history of the aeroplane (especially with the Pathfinder Force) forms a descant to the principal human narrative. Like the author's earlier book The Crew, Mosquito Men is rich in evocative and technically authoritative accounts of individual missions flown by an aircraft that ranks alongside the Spitfire, the Hurricane and the Avro Lancaster as one of the RAF's greatest ever.

Mosquito Men

Life is good for DI Dan Hellier until the discovery of two headless, handless bodies buried in a bog on Dartmoor. How can he identify the victims when nobody has reported them missing? The tension mounts when the death of a young man plunges Hellier into the murky world of the Garrett family. Could the peaceful, family-run Animal Rescue Centre really be a cover for murder and other criminal activity? Hellier is about to learn just how far people will go to get what they want, as he races to catch a murderer before it’s too late. If you are a fan of Joy Ellis, Faith Martin and LJ Ross, then you'll love Bernie Steadman's new West-Country Crime Mystery Series. *** Please note this is a revised edition of a book previously published as Death And The Good Son by B.A. Steadman.***

Death on Dartmoor

DI Jimmy Bliss continues in another gripping crime novel. DI Bliss and his team absorb two new cases which don’t initially present as major crimes. But who is the man who stepped in front of an express train? Did he willingly commit suicide or was he coerced? And what, if any, connection is there to an abandoned vehicle whose owner cannot be traced? As Bliss and his team dig deeper they soon realise there are three people now missing – a journalist, a mother, and her young daughter. But as the investigations continue, the team struggle with too many unanswered questions. What they do know is that lives are at risk, and the chances of finding all three still alive decrease with each passing hour... “The author is hugely talented and ranks, in my opinion, with the likes of Peter James and Val McDermid.” MAGGIE JAMES

Darker Days to Come

The stunning DI Bliss series are fast-paced police thrillers which will appeal to fans of authors like Michael Connely, Joy Ellis, Faith Martin, Robert Bryndza and Angela Marsons. Recovering from injuries sustained in a road collision, DI Bliss is taken directly from hospital to a fresh crime scene and ordered to investigate the vicious stabbing and murder of Jade Coleman. When Bliss realises the victim had reported being stalked, and that two of his own team had been drafted in to take her statement, he is given the unenviable task of interviewing both of his detectives. Increasingly it appears that the stalker may be their killer. However, several other people soon become part of the team’s suspect list. Bliss also finds himself being questioned about his own past and has to battle to defend himself whilst continuing to investigate the murder. Soon more questions arise. With his work cut out, and his team under pressure, can Bliss solve the case before more victims show up?

The Reach of Shadows

Twelve years after he left Peterborough under a cloud, DI Bliss returns to the city and the major crimes team. Having spent years policing organised crime, Bliss is plunged straight into the heart of a serial murder investigation. Meanwhile, Penny Chandler has been promoted to DS and has been working in. London on the Met’s sexual crimes team. But when two rapes are reported on her old patch in Peterborough, Chandler volunteers to interview the victims. Chandler joins the hunt for the attacker and soon notices a possible link between the rapes and Bliss’s murder investigation. Could the same man be responsible? Just as both cases seem to stall, a call comes in from an ex-policeman who knows of unsolved cases in the USA with a similar MO. Bliss finds himself travelling to California to hunt for a killer whose reach may have stretched further than anyone could possibly imagine. But in order to catch the murderer, Bliss must discover the killer’s motive. A motive which should have remained buried in the past…

The Scent of Guilt

A murder with no weapon or motive. A detective on edge. A community that wants answers. IMPURITY is the first in a series of six books featuring Leeds based Detective Inspector Stewart Gardener. One fateful night, DI Stewart Gardener intervenes in a street brawl and his wife is shot dead. Finding his wife’s murderer is never far from his mind, but with no leads and a hazy recollection of events, it seems hopeless. Soon he is presented with a shocking case. A man is found dead in a grubby apartment and It is not long before another man meets the same fate. The deaths are caused by a rapid disintegration of the victims’ flesh. Pathology cannot ascertain the cause. The only connection between the victims is they both worked seasonally as Santas. Who would want to kill such innocuous men as these? Can DI Gardener overcome his grief and solve the case?

Gardener and Reilly

Impurity

The bestselling author of the stunning DI Bliss crime series is back – this time with a thrilling prequel novella. A double life – a single truth. Fresh out of uniform, DC Jimmy Bliss finds himself at the centre of an undercover sting. Enlisted by a crew of villains to crack a safe, he fears his cover is blown when he’s seen in the wrong place at the wrong time. But on the night of the job, things run smoothly enough until the gang leader changes the location of the heist. As the job spirals out of control, Bliss has to trust his instincts and buy some time. There’s just one problem: he has no idea if his team know what has become of him. As the situation escalates, Bliss finds himself at the mercy of a violent criminal who will do anything not to be caught.

Bliss Uncovered

‘The decisions Harry made within the next few seconds would stay with him for the rest of his life – or result in his immediate death. And he knew it.’ When a gang war threatens to rip the metropolis apart, ‘London’s top copper’ finds himself under siege. Held accountable for the unstoppable wave of chaos that is turning the streets of his city red with blood, hounded by a media he cannot understand and continually thwarted by an establishment cover up, H is in trouble. As the chaos in London reaches boiling point, can he bring the streets under control?

Wild Boy (Jones)

London Large - Blood on the Streets

Can DCI Dan Hellier decipher the twisted mind behind the ritualised burning of homeless men on Devon’s beaches before more people are sacrificed? When images from the burning appear all over social media, Hellier realises that he is dealing with a cult and a mystery that will lead back to the Irish Troubles. Hellier will battle a bitter man who has plotted revenge for more than twenty years, without a care for the lives he will destroy.

Death on the Coast

The ultimate non-technical guide to the fast-developing world of quantum computing. Computer technology has improved exponentially over the last 50 years. But the headroom for bigger and better electronic solutions is running out. Our best hope is to engage the power of quantum physics. ‘Quantum algorithms’ had already been written long before hardware was built. These would enable, for example, a quantum computer to exponentially speed up an information search, or to crack the mathematical trick behind internet security. However, making a quantum computer is incredibly difficult. Despite hundreds of laboratories around the world working on them, we are only just seeing them come close to ‘supremacy’ where they can outperform a traditional computer. In this approachable introduction, Brian Clegg explains algorithms and their quantum counterparts, explores the physical building blocks and quantum weirdness necessary to make a quantum computer, and uncovers the capabilities of the current generation of machines.

Quantum Computing

From the author of the bestselling DI Bliss crime series comes another gripping police procedural thriller that will have readers hooked from the stunning first page to the very last. When DI Bliss prevents fifteen-year-old Molly from jumping from a hotel roof, he has no idea their paths will cross again. A county lines mule, Molly is questioned by the drugs squad, but Bliss becomes convinced she is in danger and attempts to have her relocated. A local drug dealer and a London-based enforcer have other ideas. Meanwhile, the remains of a freelance journalist are discovered alongside an archaeological find, which brings an old flame back into Bliss’s life. It’s only a matter of time before reports emerge linking the murdered journalist with the police, putting pressure on the Major Crimes team to find the killer. Bliss is torn between the two investigations. Desperate to move Molly to safety before she can be reached by those who want her silenced, he is blinded to other dangers. “The author is hugely talented and ranks, in my opinion, with the likes of Peter James and Val McDermid.” - MAGGIE JAMES

Endless Silent Scream

Meet Detective Inspector Dan Hellier, a man who needs to redeem his career and catch a killer. Soon after DI Hellier returns home to Exeter under a cloud, the body of a talented young singer is found in the woods. When her death reveals links to the boss of a recording studio, a predatory gang and a school music teacher, Hellier knows he has his work cut out. Before more innocent people are put in danger, Hellier will need to untangle the web of lies and work out which of many suspects are guilty of murder. If you are a fan of Joy Ellis, Faith Martin and LJ Ross, then you'll love Bernie Steadman's new West County Crime Mystery Series.

Death in the Woods

The stunning DI Bliss series are fast-paced police thrillers which will appeal to fans of authors like Michael Connely, Joy Ellis, Faith Martin, Robert Bryndza and Angela Marsons. One night. Two shootings. Two victims. When DI Bliss arrives at the scene of the second murder, he recognises the same three-shot pattern as the first. But there is one major difference: the second victim has been decapitated, the head nowhere to be found. When a second headless corpse is discovered the following day, Bliss and his team realise the killer is on a spree – and he’s not done yet. There are four more headless victims, and the police believe they know why. Not only that, they are also convinced that more potential victims are on the killer’s list. In a race against time to save further loss of life, Bliss and his team have no choice but to put their own lives at risk. But will everyone survive? "I would urge you to buy this book – there’s something special about it, and it’s a full five stars from me." - ANITA WALLER

The Death of Justice

A burglary, a murder, and a killer who wears a mask A woman is found dead in her bed, badly beaten. Precious items are missing from the house, including a Fender Stratocaster guitar belonging to her husband. Was it just a burglary gone wrong? Perhaps it is not a motive DI Stewart Gardener should be looking for, but a pattern. And he needs to get to the bottom of the mystery fast, before someone else is hurt. The culprit is an impostor, wearing masks that DI Gardener and his team must peel off layer by layer. But Gardener is not alone searching for the killer. Someone else is seeking retribution. When their paths cross, will justice or revenge triumph? IMPOSITION is the fifth standalone title in Ray Clark’s murder mystery series set in Leeds.

Imposition

DCI Kenny Murrain sees, hears and feels things that others do not. It’s a gift but also a curse. When he wakes to the phantom sound of screaming he knows a murder has been committed but not where or why. Then a woman’s body is found in a Stockport hotel room. It’s a murder that seems both frenzied and carefully planned, the scene expertly cleansed of any evidence. Over the following days, more bodies are discovered. The same frenzied attacks, the same meticulous planning. The same killer. The victims all have links to one man, a police colleague with a dark past. But Murrain discovers a more unexpected connection—with Marie Donovan, a former undercover officer now part of Murrain’s own team. “An intriguing police procedural, with a formidable sleuth…” THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Late Checkout

DI Bliss attends the aftermath of an apparent murder-suicide – but the scene tells him and his colleagues something very different occurred. Now the Peterborough Major Crimes Unit face an adversary like no other. They have no idea why his victims had to die. They have no idea who he is. They have no idea where he might strike next – only that he will. But while the killer is cunning, leaving no evidence for them to find, his biggest mistake might be in underestimating the team now hunting him. Because when Jimmy Bliss is on the case, all bets are off.

The Lightning Rod

David Hunter and his wife are found dead in a small Yorkshire village. The apparent victims of a hit and run. They led successful and quiet lives, so police are stumped when looking for a motive. DI Stewart Gardener and DS Sean Reilly have their work cut out and soon some suspects emerge: a group of four closely connected individuals who are proving hard to trace. Convinced this was not a random killing, the Leeds detectives venture into unknown terrain, the web of lies, fake identities and cyber crime called the internet. But when one of the suspects in the investigation is identified and found, the police are dismayed someone else got to them first. Dying from a nerve agent, he won’t be much help to the investigation. The race is on to catch up with all the persons of interest. But dealing with skilled hackers who know how to move without leaving a trace, will stack the odds against the detectives. IMPOSTURE is the sixth book by Ray Clark in a bestselling series. It can be enjoyed on its own or alongside the others. The full list is as follows: 1.IMPURITY 2.IMPERFECTION 3.IMPLANT 4.IMPRESSION 5.IMPOSITION 6.IMPOSTURE

Imposture

A missing child's body is found on the edge of the Peak District. As DCI Kenny Murrain and his team investigate, more attempted child abductions are reported. Murrain's instincts tell him this is a community with secrets, and those secrets have their roots deep in the past. Unexpected connections surface as he uncovers mysteries long buried. A motorcycle accident in the nearby hills. The unexplained death of a local prison governor. And a high-profile child killing two decades before. Then another child goes missing, and Murrain and his team must race to identify the killer before the past catches up with them and it's too late… “A talent to be reckoned with … A strong story line, muscular prose and a real sense of pace…a police procedural for a new age.” DAILY MAIL

Dark Corners

Time is running out for the passengers and crew of the tourist cruiser Selene, incarcerated in a sea of choking lunar dust. On the surface, her rescuers find their resources stretched to the limit by the mercilessly unpredictable conditions of a totally alien environment.

A Fall of Moondust

Following many years of war with Rome, Carthage is exhausted. Yet the trouble is not yet over. As mercenaries land in Carthage to claim payment for services rendered, they do not receive what they expect. Lacking a shared culture, structure and even language, this band of warriors has taken up residence in Carthage, and is becoming increasingly angry... Meanwhile, veteran Roman sailor and prefect Atticus Perennis is fighting pirates in the seas around Sicily. Perpetually an outsider due to his Greek heritage, Atticus is a fine Roman warrior with several points to prove.  He sails with his brother-in-law, a Roman centurion of striking bravery and skill, and despite their grisly encounters with pirate crews, both long for some measure of peace after the wars with the Punici of Carthage. It is a vain hope. For among the pirates’ booty are Roman senators, who tell Atticus of the mercenary occupation of Carthage. Worse, the mercenaries have kidnapped the Roman proconsul to whom Atticus owes a particular debt of honour. And so, Atticus, Septimus and their crew sail for Carthage. Mutiny is a meticulously rendered tale of politics and war in the Roman era, a tale that takes an unflinching look at the details of battle and occupation and the compromises of allegiance. It will delight fans of Roman history, historical fiction and military fiction alike. John Stack is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Masters of the Sea series.

Mutiny

Instantly acquire all the knowledge you need to pass as an expert in the world of etiquette and high society. Know what to say, what not to say, where to be seen, and what and what not to wear. Never again be found wanting when asked if someone is a PLU or a NQOCD, why port should be passed to the left, or how many air kisses you should aim at the proffered cheek of someone you barely know. Arm yourself with the essential words or phrases which have entered the etiquette lexicon from prerevolutionary France, and know not to mix up your droit du seigneur with your noblesse oblige. Bask in the admiration of your aristocratic hosts as you enquire politely about the place a table, pronounce confidently on whether the going is heavy or soft, and hold your own against the most sneering of posturing parvenus. Written by experts and offering readers the opportunity to pass off appropriated knowledge as their own, the Bluffer's Guides provide hard fact masquerading as frivolous observation in one witty, easy listen.

Bluffer's Guide To Etiquette

A fascinating tour through the curious history of Western civilization told through its most emblematic invention – the book. As well as leafing through the well-known titles that have helped shape the world in which we live, Oliver Tearle also dusts off some of the more neglected items to be found hidden among the bookshelves of the past. You’ll learn about the forgotten Victorian novelist who outsold Dickens, the woman who became the first published poet in America and the eccentric traveller who introduced the table-fork to England. Through exploring a variety of books – novels, plays, travel books, science books, cookbooks, joke books and sports almanacs – The Secret Library highlights some of the most fascinating aspects of our history. It also reveals the surprising connections between various works and historical figures. What links Homer’s Iliad to Aesop’s Fables? Or Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack to the creator of Sherlock Holmes? The Secret Library brings these little-known stories to light, exploring the intersections between books of all kinds and the history of the Western world over 3,000 years.

The Secret Library

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