Tom Wasp scrapes a living as a chimney sweep, aided by his young assistant, Ned. While the gap between rich and poor is unmistakable in Victorian London, Tom carves out a happy enough life and has plenty of friends, including Clara, the comely landlady of Dolly's Chop House. So when one of Clara's patrons is found murdered on her premises, Tom is quick to help, calling on his connections in the police force. Soon it becomes clear that Mr Harcourt's murder is not merely due to his philandering ways, but is part of something much more literary... Who are the Tarton Ordinaries and how are they linked to the death at Dolly's? Who really owns the mystery manuscript? And why are Tom's friend Phineas and Clara's beautiful daughter Hetty involved? It is up to Tom to find out what links an obscure Elizabethan actor with a slew of nineteenth century deaths in this absorbing and whimsical whodunit.

Tom Wasp and the Seven Deadly Sins

MYERS, Amy

Romance

Lume Books

Conrad is a monk, but he has become a monk through trickery and against his will. So, it is fair to say that his heart isn't really in it. Conrad is also clever, charming, entirely self-serving, self-absorbed and almost completely without scruple -- but in Anglo-Saxon England, when the Danish invaders come calling, those are very helpful attributes to have. And so it comes to pass that Conrad finds himself constantly dodging death by various means, some reasonable, some... less so. His tricks include selling his brother monks into slavery, witnessing the death of a king, juggling his loyalties between his own people and the Danes, robbing corpses and impersonating a bishop. By his side throughout is the gentle and honourable Brother Odo, a man so naturally and completely good that even animals sense it. He is no match of wits for the cunning Conrad but can he, perhaps, at least encourage the wayward monk to behave a little better? Conrad Monk and the Great Heathen Army takes the reader on a hugely entertaining and highly informative trip through the Anglo-Saxon world, in the company of a persuasive and likeable -- if frequently despicable -- tour guide. It is a story that combines painstakingly accurate depictions of history with a fast-moving and often hilarious plot, and as such is bound to appeal to lovers of history, historical fiction and character-driven fiction alike.

Conrad Monk and the Great Heathen Army

Literature & Fiction

Albert, Edoardo

Humor & Satire

For some, Colin Firth emerging from a lake in that clinging wet shirt is one of the most iconic moments in television. What is it about the two-hundred-year-old hero that we so ardently admire and love? Dr Malcolm examines Jane Austen's influences in creating Darcy's potent mix of brooding Gothic hero, aristocratic elitist and romantic Regency man of action. She investigates how he paved the way for later characters like Heathcliff, Rochester and even Dracula, and what his impact has been on popular culture over the past two centuries. For twenty-first century readers the world over have their idea of the 'perfect' Darcy in mind when they read the novel and will defend their choice passionately. In this insightful and entertaining study, every variety of Darcy jostles for attention: vampire Darcy, digital Darcy, Mormon Darcy and gay Darcy. Who does it best and how did a clergyman's daughter from Hampshire create such an enduring character? A must-read for every Mr Darcy and Jane Austen fan.

There's Something About Darcy: The curious appeal of Jane Austen's bewitching hero

Humor & Entertainment

Malcolm, Gabrielle

Humor

The Blameless Dead

Haynes, Gary

Genre Fiction

Dreamland

Bilyeau, Nancy

Oleg Gordievsky was the highest ranking KGB officer ever to work for Britain. For eleven years, from 1974 to 1985, he acted as a secret agent, reporting to the British Secret Intelligence Service while continuing to work as a KGB officer, first in Copenhagen, then in London. He provided Western security organizations with such a clear insight into the mind and methods of the KGB and the larger Soviet government that he has been credited with doing more than any other individual in the West to accelerate the collapse of Communism. In this thrilling memoir, Gordievsky lays out his extraordinary, meticulously planned escape from Russia, a story that has been described as 'one of the boldest and most extraordinary episodes in the history of spying.' (Ben Macintyre - The Times) Peopled with bizarre, dangerous and corrupt characters, Gordievsky introduces the reader to the fantastical world of the Soviet Embassy, tells of the British MPs and trade unionists who helped and took money from the KGB, and reveals at last what the author told Margaret Thatcher and other world leaders which made him of such value to the West. Gordievsky's autobiography gives a fascinating account of life as a secret agent. It also paints the most graphic picture yet of the paranoid incompetence, alongside the ruthless determination, of the all-encompassing and sometimes ridiculous KGB.

Next Stop Execution

Gordievsky, Oleg

Tail Gunner

This gripping story of one man's involvement in RAF Bomber Command's fledgling offensive was first published in 1943.\nWritten only months after the events described, R. C. Rivaz provides a uniquely fresh and immediate perspective on some of the most harrowing episodes of the war. He was tail gunner to Leonard Cheshire, one of the most famous RAF pilots of the Second World War and flew in Whitleys with 102 Squadron and Halifaxes with 35 Squadron.\nRivaz describes his experiences of night bombing attacks against heavily defended enemy targets like Duisburg, Dusseldorf and Essen, recording in captivating detail the sights and sounds of these dangerous night time raids.\nBut he describes equally well the colour pallet of the setting sun from fifteen thousand feet, and his turbulent mind set as he prepares for each death defying mission. He relates a dramatic shoot-out with German fighters over La Rochelle in broad daylight and describes his near-death encounters with cool but honest detail.\nRivaz also describes two agonizing crashes over the sea, one occasion of which he waits near frozen for seven hours, buffeted by stormy weather in a rubber dinghy.\nTail Gunner is not only unrivalled in its immediacy and insight, but gripping and eminently readable.

Biographies & Memoirs

Rivaz, R C

Historical

It is 1943, and Captain Hook is at sea aboard a hijacked German U-boat. 
Hook has heard all the Peter Pan-themed jokes and, as he sets off for La Rochelle, he's using them himself to boost morale. 
For he and his motley crew are risking everything to destroy German U-boats...and escape with their lives. 
It's an all-or-nothing mission that will push the entire crew - even Hook - to the very edge of their comfort zones. Knowing they have to push on to the bitter end no matter what, the stakes grow ever higher. If they succeed, they are heroes. If they lose...well...they can't lose. 
The Sheer Nervetakes the reader on a meticulously observed and unflinching journey through the details and often grisly brutalities of war. It is a must-read for anybody interested in World War II history and fans of high quality military fiction.Praise for Rob Lofthouse: 
'An incredible story capturing the commando ethos' - Brian Wood MC, bestselling author of Double Crossed 
'A cracking tale that leaves one barely able to draw breath' - Shaun Lewis, author of the For Those in Peril series 
﻿﻿﻿﻿Born in Twickenham, Rob Lofthouse left school at sixteen to join his local infantry regiment, and subsequently served for twenty years in locations around the world. He retired as a sergeant, and writes the military fiction he always wanted to read, but could rarely find.

The Sheer Nerve: An action-packed war thriller

Lofthouse, Rob

Morte Point (Ben Bracken)

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Parker, Rob

Thrillers & Suspense

Ben Bracken, ex-soldier, has just got out of Strangeways. Not by the front door. With him, he has his 'insurance policy' - a bag of evidence that will guarantee his freedom, provided he can keep it safe. Rejected by the army, disowned by his father, and any hopes of parenthood long since shattered, Ben has no anchors in his life. No one to keep him steady. No one to stop his cause... The plan: to wreak justice on the man who had put him in prison in the first place, a ruthless mob boss who heads a powerful crime syndicate. This action-packed and fast-paced story will keep you turning the pages...

A Wanted Man (Ben Bracken)

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