"When a priceless family heirloom goes missing during a small private dinner party, Mel must find the culprit, and the painting, before Lord Jonathan and Lady Laura return home.
Despite their moment of passion, Mel and Derrin are now estranged because there is still too much anger. Still trying to find her place as a 'Greenway' in the new world, Mel holds a small reunion soiree for her pre-war friends at Avonby while Lady Laura and Lord Jonathan are away in London for the season. Mel invites Derrin to try and patch up their relationship. But when a priceless Turner painting disappears from Jonathan's study, Mel learns there is a thief at Avonby.
With Derrin's reluctant assistance, Mel locks in the guests and servants. No one is getting out until the painting is returned. But where has the culprit hidden it, and why? Locked in together the real motives, nature and resentment of her guests begin to emerge. Mel learns how little the Greenways are liked by the locals. She is forced to hide her increasingly debilitating illness from them, even as they surround her like a pack of feral wolves. A short flashback hints at the cause of Mel's war induced trauma."
"Walking boots. Check. Raincoat. Check. Emotional baggage? Check, check, check.
Lydia Williams is used to putting on a smile and saying yes. So, when her friends beg her to join them on a cross-country hiking trip she agrees, even if she’d rather be crying into a pint of ice cream post-breakup. And post-job loss. Yeah, it’s been a week.
She’s barely got her boots laced when Ren Hunter rocks up, her ex-best friend she’s been desperately avoiding since he broke her heart.
Ren knows he made the biggest mistake of his life. He’s ready to grovel, but Lydia’s walls are higher than any peak they’re about to climb. So after his brother-slash-business partner shoots down his dream, he jumps at the chance for a break ? and a chance to maybe, finally, win her back.
Lydia is determined to keep her heart zipped up tight. But with days spent walking side by side and nights spent just inches apart, old feelings come creeping back, and in the middle of nowhere, they might just find their way back to each other."
"In post-war Britain, Avonby estate is a crumbling relic hiding deadly secrets. Lady Melinda 'Mel' Greenway, a former army mechanic and the family’s poor relation, seeks solace in its overgrown gardens?until she unearths a body beneath the roses.
The discovery drags Mel into a tangled web of lies, resentments, and buried truths, forcing her to clash with Inspector Derrin Bradley, her wartime lover turned investigator. As Derrin digs into the dark web of secrets entangling Avonby’s privileged residents and its resentful staff, Mel is determined to solve the mystery herself. As sparks fly and old wounds resurface, Mel’s relentless pursuit of the truth puts her at odds with both her family and Derrin, while making her a target for a killer desperate to keep the past buried.
A tale of resilience, forbidden romance, and suspense, A Thorn in the Rose is a richly atmospheric mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page."
"When self-proclaimed failure Kat moves hundreds of miles to renovate her late Dad’s house, falling in love with the grumpy builder wasn’t part of the plan…
Kat Williams is well and truly in a rut. She’s lost her mojo at work, her estranged dad has passed away, and she royally messed up the eulogy at his funeral after a grumpy, stubborn man stole her parking space and made her late. When her boss suggests she takes a two month sabbatical, Kat moves hundreds of miles to the small Mancunian town of Everly Heath to refurbish her father’s childhood home she’s inherited. She thinks it will be a quick fixer-upper; a bit of paint, some new carpet and then she can sell up and return to her life in London, profit in hand. She is determined to make the renovation a success and not let her lingering resentment towards her dad or her ADHD goblin distract her.
But Kat arrives in Everly Heath to find her dad’s house is falling apart and completely uninhabitable. Worse still, the grumpy builder, Liam, who Kat’s well-meaning extended family have enlisted to manage the reno, is none other than the grouch who stole her parking space on the day of the funeral. Near breaking point, Liam offers Kat an olive branch in a place to stay at his while the worst of the repairs take place. Now living under one roof, sparks fly over faulty wiring and Liam shows Kat a whole new perspective on life. But a shattering secret of Liam’s threatens to sever any connection they’ve built.
Will Kat have the courage to stay or are this grumpy-sunshine duo not meant to be after all?"
"October, 1995. Adrian Brown's second year studying at Leeds University is a blur of throbbing bass line and neon-lit nights out. However, a shocking encounter with a pale, older man he met in a basement club has the power to sober him up.
Sheila Hargreaves, who has grown fond of Adrian following their brush with the Lollipop Man a year ago, has a book coming out about the murders and is busy with a new TV show, Yorkshire Crimetime. Busy doesn't quite cover it though when she has to pick up the pieces for her erratic co-presenter Tony Tranter. And then Tony goes missing and doesn't turn up hungover but stabbed to death in the shadows of a railway arch.
His death seems to be linked to a recent number of sometimes deadly attacks on men. Moving from shadowy corners of the city to the glare of the TV studio lights, Sheila and Adrian find themselves on the path of another killer."
"When a young girl is snatched from a West Yorkshire town there are eerie similarities with a cold case from many years earlier. It can't be the same killer, can it?
1994. Eighteen-year-old Adrian Brown spends his days working at the local newspaper, and his evenings in his local pub. But under this ordinary surface lies a haunting story. Aged ten, Adrian was kidnapped by a shadowy figure known as the Lollipop Man, who had abducted three children before. Adrian was the only one to escape.
When another child goes missing, the media whips up a frenzy that the Lollipop Man has returned. Journalist Sheila Hargreaves, troubled with memories of her involvement in the reporting of the previous abductions, is determined to dig deeper, atone for what she did nearly a decade ago and bring a killer to justice."
"From USA Today bestselling author T. Kingfisher comes A Sorceress Comes to Call--a dark retelling of the Brothers Grimm's Goose Girl, rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic.
Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn't have any doors between rooms--there are no secrets in this house--and her mother doesn't allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother's beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him.
But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don't force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren't sorcerers.
After a suspicious death in their small town, Cordelia's mother insists they leave in the middle of the night, riding away together on Falada's sturdy back, leaving behind all Cordelia has ever known. They arrive at the remote country manor of a wealthy older man, the Squire, and his unwed sister, Hester. Cordelia's mother intends to lure the Squire into marriage, and Cordelia knows this can only be bad news for the bumbling gentleman and his kind, intelligent sister.
And indeed Hester sees the way Cordelia shrinks away from her mother. How the young girl sits eerily still at dinner every night. Hester knows that to save her brother from bewitchment and to rescue the terrified Cordelia, she will have to face down a wicked witch of the worst kind.
'Kingfisher never fails to dazzle.'--Peter S. Beagle, Hugo-, Nebula-, and Locus-Award winning author
'Kingfisher is an inventive fantasy powerhouse.'--BookPage"
"A dystopian, poignant and action-packed love story that shows what the world can look like when viruses threaten and climate & nature have become irrelevant.
Gina lives in a world where wildlife is largely extinct and epidemics are ravaging. The gigacity Prospect City is divided into rings, and when an epidemic strikes, the government can close one or more of the rings to prevent contagion. During the latest epidemic, Gina lost her little brother, Zack, and now her mother is pregnant again. Gina wants to do everything to give her new little brother a better chance of survival, and decides to audition for a new show PIONEER, where the prize is health insurance for the whole family. The selected participants must live a year in a human back up colony on top of the mountain Mount B. The participants must have implanted a so-called Third Eye so that people with a FollowMe mask in Prospect City can follow their thoughts. Gina's friend Angie and her partner Certo also join. But what are the odds that that all three of them are among the chosen? And what are the consequences if they are selected?"
"The perfect neighbourhood. The perfect friends. The perfect murder.
When Frankie moved into her new home, it was a dream come true. Living on one of the most exclusive streets in the country, where gleaming white houses looked out over golden sand and deep blue ocean. Nothing bad could have followed her there.
Her new neighbours - Zara, Nadine and Geneva - soon took her under their wing. The four women became inseparable. Until the morning when Geneva's body was found on the beach.
Suspicion was immediately cast on Geneva's husband. But when the police didn't charge him, he vanished without trace. Now, five years later, he's back.
Soon no one is beyond suspicion. Dark secrets that have been hiding behind closed doors begin to be revealed, with devastating consequences.
What really happened the night Geneva died? And how far will they all go to make sure their own secrets stay buried?"
"M. J. Kuhn returns to the gritty world of heists, magic, and deception in this high-stakes fantasy follow-up to internationally bestselling Among Thieves perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and V.E. Schwab.
Ryia Cautella, a.k.a. the Butcher of Carrowwick, and her motley crew have succeeded in the ultimate heist...with the most dire possible consequences. A terrifyingly powerful tool has fallen into the hands of Callum Clem, the criminal leader of the Saints, who was already one of the most dangerous men alive. With the newfound ability to force magic-wielding Adepts to his will, he is unstoppable.
With their group scattered throughout the five kingdoms of Thamorr—and not all on the same side of the fight—things seem hopeless. But can Ryia get the gang back together for one last job? Or will chess-worthy power plays and shifting loyalties change Thamorr as they know it?"
"Escape to Italy with the brand-new romcom from the author of You Had Me at Halloumi
When Ramona's dream to launch a size-inclusive fashion line comes crashing down she decides it is time for a bold change. Realising there is little inclusivity in the exclusive world of haute couture, Ramona bids ciao for now to her old life and heads to Milan for fashion inspiration (and gelato).
Thrown off course, she rents a room in a Tuscan village where the locals are sceptical - particularly the infuriating Marco, who seems to be there whenever Ramona makes a fool of herself. Which is often.
Can a year in Tuscany get her life back on track? And will Ramona discover amore when she least expects it?
Ginger Jones is back with her next laugh-out-loud, mouth-watering tale from the rolling fields of sun-drenched Italy. Add a dash of romance to your life with this tale that's sure to satisfy your appetite . . .
Praise for You Had Me At Halloumi
'It is pure fabulous escapism, perfect for poolside reading' Rachel's Random Reads
'Fun and quirky romcom!'
''I devoured this book in two days, it is such a fun read.'
'Perfect for a sunny afternoon'
'This mouth watering and sunny story is the epitome of escapism'"
"A love story taking place during WW2 in Denmark.
In the summer of 1944 the work for the resistance movement takes all Helene’s time and energy. There are indications that they have an informer in the group and Helene is under suspicion. At the same time, she is very much in love with a German soldier, but she is very afraid that he informed the authorities about a certain bomb attack. She decides to find the informer herself..."
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