Audiobooks narrated by Philip Stevens

Where Blood Runs Cold: The heart-pounding Arctic thriller

Brought to you by Penguin. Erik Amdahl and his spirited daughter, Sofia, have embarked on a long-promised cross-country ski trip deep into Norway's arctic circle. For Erik, it's the chance to bond properly with his remaining daughter following a tragic accident. For Sofia, it's the proof she needs that her father does care. Then, far from home in this snowbound wilderness, with night falling and the mercury plummeting, an accident sends them in search of help - and shelter. Nearby is the home of a couple - members of Norway's indigenous Sami people - who they've met before, and who welcome them in. Erik is relieved. He believes the worst is over. He thinks that Sofia is now safe. He could not be more wrong. He and Sofia are not the old couple's only visitors that night - and soon he and Sofia will be running for their lives . . . ...and beneath the swirling light show of the Northern Lights, a desperate fight ensues - of man against man, of man against nature - a fight for survival that plays out across the snow and ice. A story of endurance and of the desperate, instinctive will to survive, of a father's love for his child, of knowing when to let go - and of a daughter's determination to prove herself worthy of that love, Where Blood Runs Cold is a pulse-racing thriller from a master storyteller. © Giles Kristian 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Giles Kristian (Author), Philip Stevens (Narrator)

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George III: The Life and Reign of Britain's Most Misunderstood Monarch

Brought to you by Penguin. George III, Britain's longest-reigning king, has gone down in history as 'the cruellest tyrant of this age' (Thomas Paine, eighteenth century), 'a sovereign who inflicted more profound and enduring injuries upon this country than any other modern English king' (WEH Lecky, nineteenth century), 'one of England's most disastrous kings' (JH Plumb, twentieth century) and as the pompous, camp and sinister monarch of the musical 'Hamilton' (twenty-first century). Andrew Roberts's magnificent new biography takes entirely the opposite view. It convincingly portrays George as intelligent, benevolent, scrupulously devoted to the constitution of his country and (as head of government as well as head of state) navigating the turbulence of eighteenth-century politics with a strong sense of honour and duty. He was a devoted husband and family man, a great patron of the arts and sciences, keen ('Farmer George') to advance Britain's agricultural capacity and determined that her horizons should be global. The book gives a detailed, revisionist account of the American War of Independence, amongst other things persuasively taking apart a significant proportion of the Declaration of Independence. In a later war, it shows how George's support for William Pitt was crucial to the battle against Napoleon. And it makes a credible, modern diagnosis of George's terrible malady which robbed him of his mind for the last 10 years of his life - his other main claim to the popular imagination. Roberts argues that, far from being a tyrant or incompetent, George III was one of our most admirable monarchs. George III shows one of Britain's premier historians at his sparkling best. © Andrew Roberts 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Andrew Roberts (Author), Philip Stevens (Narrator)

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The Turning Point: A Year that Changed Dickens and the World

Brought to you by Penguin. A major new biography of Charles Dickens, tracing the year that would transform his life and times *BY THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF BECOMING DICKENS AND THE STORY OF ALICE* The year is 1851. It's a time of radical change in Britain, when industrial miracles and artistic innovations rub shoulders with political unrest, poverty and disease. It's also a turbulent time in the private life of Charles Dickens, as he copes with a double bereavement and early signs that his marriage is falling apart. But this formative year will become perhaps the greatest turning point in Dickens's career, as he embraces his calling as a chronicler of ordinary people's lives, and develops a new form of writing that will reveal just how interconnected the world is becoming. The Turning Point transports us into the foggy streets of Dickens's London, closely following the twists and turns of a year that would come to define him, and forever alter Britain's relationship with the world. Fully illustrated, and brimming with fascinating details about the larger-than-life man who wrote Bleak House, this is the closest look yet at one of the greatest literary personalities ever to have lived. 'It is hard to imagine a better book on Dickens' NEW STATESMAN 'A startling and exciting writer' A. S. BYATT, SPECTATOR © Robert Douglas-Fairhurst 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Robert Douglas-Fairhurst (Author), Philip Stevens (Narrator)

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A to Z of Us

‘Brilliantly funny and sweet, so heartwarming and relatable. I couldn’t stop reading it!’ Lucy Vine ‘Warm, witty, romantic and oh-so relatable, I couldn’t put this book down’ Zara Stoneley Can love ever be as easy as ABC? If you want to know the A-Z of love then it starts with Alice and ends with Zach. Alice is a self-confessed cynic when it comes to love. She’s never had a serious relationship herself and after supporting her best friend through a devastating break-up, she’s not about to let down her barriers anytime soon. Relationships always end badly. Zach is a romantic. Even after his parents got divorced, he still believed in love and is eager to settle down and have a family of his own. He just hasn’t met The One yet. After a chance meet-cute at an art gallery, Zach is immediately intrigued by Alice and realising their names bookend the alphabet suggests that their next date needs to begin with a B. Alice agrees to one date while Zach is determined to make her believe in love. But can love ever be as easy as ABC? A fun and feel-good romantic comedy with dating as you’ve never seen it before, for anyone who’s missed Happy Hour drink dates and meet-cutes in real life. Fans of Sophie Cousens, Mhairi McFarlane and Sophie Ranald won’t be able to put down this heart-warming page-turner. Readers LOVE Hannah Doyle: ‘Funny and touching’ ‘I really enjoyed this book, refreshing and different’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Laugh out loud level of funny’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I didn’t want to put the book down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A brilliant dose of escapism’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Perfect for my summer holiday read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hannah Doyle (Author), Kitty Kelly, Philip Stevens (Narrator)

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The Dangerous Kingdom of Love

Brought to you by Penguin. England, 1613. At the dazzling but brutal court of King James I, politician and philosopher Francis Bacon, the cleverest person in England, the inventor of the modern world, has a fight to survive. A life-threatening alliance of his enemies has formed around the King's exquisite but noxious lover, Carr. Bacon, always the outsider and the plotter, goes to his friend, James's neglected Queen, and together they come up with a plan. They will find their own beautiful young man, to supplant Carr in the King's bed and so defeat their enemies. Bacon then meets the thrillingly beautiful, mysteriously unreadable Villiers, whom he trains to entrance the King, but against all good sense, the two start a secret love affair. But when a shocking murder scandal rocks the English court, new battle lines are drawn at court, and the question asked: what if the beautiful boy is the cleverest person of all? A twisting tale of court intrigue and forbidden love in the palaces, taverns and theatres of Jacobean London, with a cast of kings and queens, philosophers and playwrights, high-born aristocrats and low-born poisoners, and an astonishing suite of historical characters like Ben Jonson and William Shakespeare, James I and Anne of Denmark, the murderess Frances Carr and even Pocahontas, all told through the funny, ironic, self-aware voice of the world-changing Francis Bacon himself, THE DANGEROUS KINGDOM OF LOVE is both a darkly funny satire on liberalism and a tragic love story about the corrosive effect of power. © Neil Blackmore 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Neil Blackmore (Author), Philip Stevens (Narrator)

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Rome: The Emperor's Spy (Rome 1): A high-octane historical adventure guaranteed to have you on the e

Brought to you by Penguin. From bestselling author MC Scott, a heady, fast-paced and exciting historical adventure full of religious and political tensions, passion and intrigue. Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow, Robert Harris and Conn Iggulden. AD 64: Rome is burning. Only one man can save it. The Emperor: Nero, Emperor of Rome and feared by his subjects for his temper and cruelty, is in possession of an ancient document predicting that Rome will burn. The Spy: Sebastos Pantera, assassin and spy for the Roman Legions is ordered to stop the impending cataclysm. He knows that if he doesn't, his life - and that of thousands of others - is in terrible danger. The Chariot Boy: Math, a young charioteer, subject to the wiles and schemes of the Emperor and the Spy. Who will win this game, where death stalks the drivers - on the track and off it. 'As exciting as Ben Hur, and far more accurate...' - The Independent. 'A gripping tale...' - Daily Mail. 'I was totally engrossed...' - Reader review. © Manda Scott 2010 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Manda Scott (Author), Philip Stevens (Narrator)

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Rome: The Coming of the King (Rome 2): A compelling and gripping historical adventure that will keep

Brought to you by Penguin. From the Sunday Times bestselling author Manda Scott, a high-octane, stirring and exciting historical adventure full of intrigue and action. Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow, Robert Harris and Conn Iggulden. TO SAVE ROME HE MUST PLACE HIS TRUST IN ANOTHER. Sebastos Pantera, known to his many enemies as the Leopard and something of a lone wolf, is the spy the Emperor Nero uses only for the most challenging and important of missions. His next mission: to find the most dangerous man in Rome's empire and bring him to bloody justice. His prey is cunning, subtle and ruthless. Saulos has pledged to bring about the destruction of Rome and her provinces and now fate, good luck and planning have given him the means to do so. The brilliance of Saulos' plan will be difficult to combat, but Pantera has a new ally: a king in the making who could change the future of his people - a man he can finally trust. If they work together, they could bring a province back from the edge of ruin. But first, they must attempt the impossible; an assault on an invulnerable fortress, where failure means death to them both. 'Intricately woven, cleverly plotted. Miss this at your peril!' -- BEN KANE 'Intelligent, historical...I was bereft when I turned the final page.' -- ROBERT LOW 'A dazzling, wonderfully crafted tale. Spellbinding.' -- GILES KRISTIAN © Manda Scott 2011 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Manda Scott (Author), Philip Stevens (Narrator)

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Rome: The Art of War: (Rome 4): A captivating historical page-turner full of political tensions, pas

Brought to you by Penguin. The Sunday Times bestselling author Manda Scott brings Ancient Rome to life in this memorable tale of treachery, espionage and violence. Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow, Robert Harris and Conn Iggulden. ROME ON A KNIFE EDGE. A TRAITOR IN THE MIDST. Rome: AD69. The Year of the Four Emperors. Three Emperors have ruled in Rome this year and a fourth, Vespasian, has been named in the East. As the legions march toward civil war, Sebastos Pantera, the spy whose name means leopard, returns to Rome intent on bribery, blackmail and persuasion: whatever it takes to bring the commanders and their men to Vespasian's side. But in Rome, as he uses every skill he has ever learned of subterfuge, codes and camouflage, it becomes clear that one of those closest to him is a traitor, who will let Rome fall to destroy him. Together the two spies spin a web of deceit with Rome as the prize and death the only escape. 'Superior in almost every way...one of the most entertaining 'Roman' novels I have read...Head and shoulders above the crowd' -- Simon Scarrow 'Intricately woven, cleverly plotted. Miss this at your peril!' - Ben Kane 'Excellent series - each book was a joy to read - final book kept you guessing right up until the end' -- ***** Reader review © Manda Scott 2013 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Manda Scott (Author), Philip Stevens (Narrator)

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Rome: The Eagle Of The Twelfth: (Rome 3): A action-packed and riveting historical adventure that wil

Brought to you by Penguin. From the Sunday Times bestselling author Manda Scott, a captivating, stirring and breath-taking historical adventure full of honour, loyalty and bravery. Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow, Robert Harris and Conn Iggulden. THEY ARE KNOWN AS THE LEGION OF THE DAMNED... Throughout the Roman Army, the brutal XIIth Legion is notorious for its ill fortune. For one young man, Demalion of Macedon, joining it will be a baptism of fire. And yet, amid all of the violence and savagery of his life as a legionary, he will come to love the Twelfth and the bloody-minded, dark-hearted soldiers he calls his brothers. But during the punishing Judaean campaign, the Hebrew army inflict a catastrophic defeat upon the legion - not only decimating their ranks, but taking away their soul - the eagle. There is just one final chance to save the legion's honour - to steal it back. To do that, Demalion and his legionnaries must go undercover into Jerusalem, into the very heart of their enemy. Recovering their pride is paramount but discovery will mean the worst of deaths... 'A tale that shines like the Eagle at its heart. I suspect that no one else writes like M. C. Scott. I'm certain plenty wish they could.' -- GILES KRISTIAN 'Enthralling...Gladiator meets Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in a baroque landscape.' -- ROBERT LOWE 'Compulsive reading' -- ***** Reader review © Manda Scott 2012 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Manda Scott (Author), Philip Stevens (Narrator)

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Leviathan

Brought to you by Penguin. Thomas Hobbes lived through the Thirty Years War and Britain's civil wars, and the trauma of these events led to his great masterpiece of political thought. How could humankind rescue itself from life in the natural state, which was 'poor, nasty, brutish and short'? What form of politics would provide the security that he and his contemporaries craved? Vilified and scorned from the moment it was published, Leviathan was publicly burnt for sedition, but ever since it has exercised a unique fascination upon its readers, both for its ideas and its remarkable prose. Its concepts helped to drag Europe into a new world - one in which we still live today. © Christopher Brooke 2017 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Thomas Hobbes (Author), Philip Stevens (Narrator)

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HELLMOUTH: A novella

Bohemia. 1370. A disgraced knight named Galien leads a band of hardened mercenaries on a mission for Mother Church. But in the dark forests of central Europe, a darker secret awaits. The Sunday Times bestselling author Giles Kristian (Lancelot, The Raven Viking Trilogy) takes us on an unnerving ride into fear and paranoia, bloodshed and redemption.

Giles Kristian (Author), Philip Stevens (Narrator)

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The Catch: The unmissable new thriller from the author of The Holiday, Sunday Times bestseller and R

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Richard & Judy Book Club pick THE HOLIDAY, comes an unmissable new thriller. She says he's perfect. I know he's lying . . . He caught me watching, and our eyes met. That was when it hit me. There was something not quite right about my daughter's new boyfriend . . . The doting father Ed finally meets his daughter's boyfriend for the first time. Smart, successful and handsome, Ryan appears to be a real catch. Then Abbie announces their plan to get married. The perfect fiancé There's just one problem. Ed thinks Ryan is lying to them. Who would you believe? All of Ed's instincts tell him his daughter is in terrible danger - but no-one else can see it. With the wedding date approaching fast, Ed sets out to uncover Ryan's secrets, before it's too late . . . The Catch is such utterly compulsive reading you just *have* to talk about it. it broke all records for the number of comments left when serialised by Pigeonhole. 'Tense, tight and totally absorbing' Adele Parks, Sunday Times bestselling author of Lies, Lies, Lies 'Smart, intense, and with a humdinger of a mid-point twist. I loved it' Gillian McAllister, Sunday Times bestselling author 'Taut, tense and compelling. T.M. Logan's talent is in creating characters with whom the reader instantly relates, and then thrusting them into situations that reflect our deepest fears. Thriller writing at its finest' Simon Lelic 'T.M. Logan's best yet. Fully delivers on its killer premise. Unsettling and so, so entertaining. The perfect thriller' Caz Frear 'Tricksy, twisting, instantly relatable and utterly compulsive. T.M. Logan excels at creating characters you really care about and exposing them to your very worst fears in a way that is always smart, suspenseful and thoroughly entertaining' C.M. Ewan Praise for the master of the 'it-could-be-you' thriller, T.M. Logan: 'Assured, compelling, and hypnotically readable - with a twist at the end I guarantee you won't see coming' Lee Child 'I loved the intrigue - it makes you think twice about going on holiday with friends' B A Paris 'Perfect summer reading' S R Masters 'Perfectly plotted and riveting with an exceptional ending' Diane Jeffrey 'Heart-thumping suspense and the greatest twist since Gone Girl' Michele Campbell 'A moral dilemma + a pacy plot = one gripping thriller. I stayed up far too late reading this one!' Louise Jenson

T.M. Logan (Author), Philip Stevens (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Philip Stevens