Sitting in a Lloyd Loom chair on a Narrow Boat, moored on the Kennet and Avon Canal, a dead man stares into oblivion. Who is he and what is his name? Chief Inspector Michael Lambert from Thames Valley Police Authority unravels a murder case which stretches from Reading to Bulgaria, South Africa to Belorussia, and finally Taiwan to Peru. What at first appears to be a straightforward murder is revealed to be part of an international manhunt, the result of a major arms deal which has gone horribly wrong. The story begins with the discovery of a small mobile phone on the narrow boat and ends with the murder of a Chinese shipping magnate in the streets of London. Will anyone's life be the same again and how will our provincial policeman cope with these different layers of intrigue?

I Heard and Saw before I Knew

Parenting & Relationships

Zimmerman, Pauline

Family Relationships

Mereo Books

The true-story of life and love in an unfamiliar world. When Naginder Sehmi was born in Kenya nobody could have predicted the amazing life he was to live. From the scorched plains of Africa to the lofty mountains of Switzerland, Narender’s lifelong journey has been filled with unbelievable moments. In Twisted Turban, Naginder not only describes his continent-crossing journey in vivid detail but he also provides an unparalleled insight into the life as a Sikh. With heart-wrenching honesty, the stories show the struggle for love in a caste-based society and the inevitable approach of death and decay. Naginder also provides a commentary on the modern problems faced by Sikhs, both spiritually and in everyday life, and provides his own solutions to dealing with them. Beautifully-written with a fiery sense of humor that brings this distant world to life, Twisted Turban is a revealing insight into the life of a Sikh. See:

Twisted Turban: A thought-provoking journey along cultural borderlands

Biographies & Memoirs

Sehmi, Naginder

Community & Culture

When Rod Brown’s mother spotted an advertisement in the local paper for engineers to work for a company in India and Pakistan, Rod wasn’t sure it was quite his cup of tea. But he applied anyway. After sailing through the interviews and being offered the position, he began to wonder whether this was in fact just the opportunity he needed. It was 1951. The company was Walter Duncan & Goodricke Ltd. And tea was exactly what they were about. Quitting the drudgery of an engineering apprenticeship back home in Gloucestershire, where his life was dominated by his overbearing father, Rod sailed across the world to Calcutta, India and began a new world of work in the teamaking business. He quickly discovered that life in India was much more exciting than the quiet Cotswolds. Aside from going on to become a vital cog in the tea company, Rod had encounters with tigers, leopards and poisonous snakes. He had to deal with drunken workers and noisy locals, and survived some near-fatal accidents. The dangers of Indian life did not stop Rod falling in love with India and its culture. Yet he had also fallen in love back in England before he left. He never forgot his childhood sweetheart, and returned as soon as he could to marry her. Tea and Me is Rod Brown’s story of the early years of his adventures in India and his career in tea.

Tea and Me: An Englishman Abroad in India (One for Tea, 1)

Brown, Rod

Historical

When Alan Higgins joined the Royal Navy at the outbreak of World War II, he was not yet sixteen years old. But his youth could not save him from the horrors of war and he was soon serving aboard the cruiser HMS Edinburgh. On May 1st 1942, HMS Edinburgh was sunk by a German U-Boat in the icy Barents Sea but Alan miraculously survived. However, this wasn't to be the last of Alan’s troubles and he narrowly escaped death during the bombing of a station in Russia. He experienced more peaceful spells in North America and Bermuda, but most of his war took place in the Mediterranean and he found himself dodging bullets and bombs during the Battle of Anzio in Italy. Later, as a crewman of a landing craft at the Normandy D-Day landings, Alan was forced to saw off a fellow sailor’s shattered leg with a bread knife. Despite the terrible danger, Alan survived the war and has now written You’re in the Navy Now, a richly-descriptive and good-humored account of his unbelievable years in the Royal Navy.

You're in the Navy Now: A teenage recruit sees front-line action in WWII

Higgins, Alan

Leaders & Notable People

This book is a tribute to my Uncle Jim, Private James Watson 14428202 5th Black Watch, 51st Highland Division. All the stories are true as they are based on War Records, Soldiers Diaries, conversations with Veterans of 51st Highland Division and family and friends.  You can learn more about the Black Watch at www.theblackwatch.co.uk. The Black Watch Museum is housed in the dramatic and historic Balhousie Castle. The Castle is set in its own beautiful gardens and grounds. A visit to this ancestral home of The Black Watch brings this glorious Regiment’s past vibrantly to life.

A Teenager's War: The true story of an 18 year old lad from Huddersfield fighting during WW2 in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany with the 5th Black Watch, 51st Highland Division

Brearley, James

I'm Just an HCA: The trials, the tears and the rewards of working as a Health Care Assistant

Guttridge, Nicky

With a documented history stretching back a thousand years, Dunster Castle on the English Somerset coast is one of Britain’s oldest and most intriguing great buildings, its turrets evoking centuries of siege warfare, dark deeds, bloodshed and treachery. Dunster’s rich and colourful story covers more than nine hundred years of intermittent warfare. Only two families have owned and occupied the castle, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 which led to its construction right through to the 20th century; the second of these remained in charge for 21 generations and six hundred years. These families and their knights, some worthy of their shining armour, others less honourable, brought peace and warfare, treachery and glory to the castle in equal measure down the years. Jim Lee worked full time for the National Trust at Dunster Castle for 20 years. Few people are better qualified to tell its extraordinary story.

Dunster - A castle at war: A journey through 900 years of savage and colourful history.

History

Lee, Jim

Europe

A Small House in France: How an English couple turned a neglected French cottage, an acre of land and a walnut orchard into a holiday retreat

Barrington, Brenda

Travis’ father was a failed soldier, a coward and a heartless bully who tried to disown his son. Now Travis is determined to shame him by becoming the soldier his father could never have been – through joining the Parachute Regiment, the élite of the British Army. His restless urge to prove himself takes him from country to country and from army to army, where he battles with enemies both external and internal until he is finally able to put horror and tragedy behind him and find honour, love and peace. ‘The sounds of the battle were like some crazy symphony, orchestrated by a mad composer and led by an even madder conductor who had decided to play all his heavy brass instruments at the same time and all of his percussion, bass drums pounding amid the deafening clashes of cymbals. His instruments were automatic rifle fire, hand grenades, grenade launchers, claymore mines, light and heavy machine guns and mortars. For vocals he had the screams of the wounded and dying.’ ‘A killer story, with a strong emotional core, powerful themes that will touch hearts and a believable protagonist’ - Kaye Jones, History in an Hour

Once a Soldier: Even Parachute Regiment training couldn't prepare him for the ordeals he would face - on and off the field of battle.

Literature & Fiction

Tomkins, Phil

Genre Fiction

His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom (his full title is 136 words long) is the oldest-ever male member of the British Royal Family, as well as by far the longest-serving and oldest spouse of a reigning British monarch. After 66 years of marriage to the Queen (who calls him her ‘constant strength and guide’), he is so revered around the world that one community in the South Seas worships him as a god. Although his direct, no-nonsense approach to life has put many noses out of joint and frequently made headlines, his witticisms and occasional gaffes have helped to endear him to the British people almost as much as the Queen. Learn all about the public and private Prince Philip in this fascinating book

All About The Duke of Edinburgh: Portrait of a Great British Institution (The All About Series)

Edwards, Vicky

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Mereo Books publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Mereo Books