We can all stand on principles until evil pays us a visit... The year is 1894 when Mr Simeon Crosby, a retired executioner, comes to Wigan with his wife and brother to give a talk on his life's work. Whilst he has an eager following, there are also many people who strongly object to Crosby's profession and do not wish his melancholy shadow to be cast over their town. Protests have been organised and threats have been made. Detective Sergeant Brennan is tasked with overseeing the security of the controversial visitor and all seems to be going to plan... until a murder is committed on the night of Crosby's talk. As Brennan and his brawny constable Fred Jaggery begin their lines of inquiry, they become overwhelmed with suspects and frustrated at the ambiguity of the evidence. And then a second body is found. Brennan soon discovers that both victim and killer can take many, sometimes indistinguishable, forms. Hanging Murder is one of A.J. Wright's Lancashire Detective Mystery series of cleverly crafted Victorian whodunits, which also includes Sitting Murder and Elementary Murder.

Hanging Murder (A Lancashire Detective Mystery)

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Wright, A.J.

Mystery

Lume Books

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

Citizen Armies (Jackson Family Saga)

Literature & Fiction

Kingston, Beryl

Genre Fiction

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

Albert, Edoardo

Humor & Satire

Harriet has begun to despair of her life. A failed relationship, a business in trouble and a flat that's falling apart. Oh, and her only friend is an aging and eccentric Russian woman, Elena. When Elena unexpectedly dies and leaves everything to Harriet, the young woman is thrown into a whole new dilemma as she finds herself in a bitter court case against Elena's family for her inheritance. Against the advice of her friends, family and lawyers, Harriet sets off on her own, very singular journey to Berlin. A journey that will uncover long-buried secrets. Harriet knows she has to fight for justice. But when she meets Neil, who is struggling with a complicated marriage, she must also decide if she'll also fight for love. A moving story of love, loyalty and long-lost family. Fans of Jojo Moyes and Lucinda Riley will be hooked.

A Single Journey

Frankie McGowan

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

Captain Tom Caine knows he should be out with the throngs of revellers celebrating Victory in Europe but, instead of elation, he only feels anger. How can he celebrate when he is haunted by the horrors of the war and the friends he was unable to save? When Caine takes a post in the war crimes investigation team, it's not long before he makes an unforgivable discovery; allied forces and military police, the very people who should be supporting their mission, have been intentionally obstructing their progress. But what are they trying to hide? And what about Celia Blaney, field security officer and the object of his affections, reported MIA? Could the two be linked? This action-packed thriller offers insight into the chaotic state of post-war Europe, depicting the harrowing aftermath of the atrocities wreaked by Nazi occupation.

The Colour of Fire (Death or Glory)

Asher. Michael

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

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