The highly anticipated fourth book in the exciting and atmospheric Shadow of the Raven series. WESSEX 893 AD As the threat of yet another Viking invasion looms over his troubled realm, Alfred, King of Wessex, reviews and strengthens his defences. Among his many concerns is the fate of Edward, his stable boy, who he believes to be the bastard son of revered warrior Matthew, who died serving the Saxon cause. If his heritage can be proved, Edward is not only heir to vast fortune but, more importantly, he has the blood of a warrior in his veins, something the Saxons are likely to need in spades. More worryingly, Alfred fears that if Edward's true lineage ever became known, there would be those who might seek to exploit him or, worse still, use him to usurp Alfred's rule. He confides in just two of his closest advisers and they conspire to send Edward to the relative safety of Wareham on the pretext of having him train Governor Osric's magnificent black stallion, a horse thought to be all but unrideable. Edward is treated with disdain when he reaches Wareham and regarded as being too puny to be a warrior. However when the barely-trained members of the fyrd find themselves outnumbered, isolated and confronting a dreaded Viking warband, it is Edward's quick thinking and extraordinary courage that leads them to victory, leaving no doubt about his true bloodline.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 304

Dimensions: 129 x 198 mm

Publication Date: 18-03-2021

When 19-year old Theodora Quirke heads to work on Christmas Eve the last person she expects to find outside of her flat is St Nicholas of Myra - the Saint people think is Santa Claus (much to Saint Nick's disgust). Given he is in full Santa suit and professing to be nearly 2000 years old Theo is wary, but St Nick insists he is here to save her - although he isn't sure how or why. St Nick does know that Theo is grieving however, so he shows her four scenes from her life that give her hope, but he's also had cryptic messages from the Christmas Higher Powers that lead him to begin Theo's training as the first ever female Christmas Angel - a role Theo is not sure she is cut out for. The training is soon derailed by St Nick's evil brother Krampus, filled with jealousy and spite over his brother's popularity and, with confidence dented, and saddened by society's spiraling levels of expectation and greed, St Nick begins to falter. Theo does everything she can to defeat Krampus and to lift St Nick's spirits but as the deadline for Christmas miracles draws close, she realises she must complete them herself - but is she up to the job? A Christmas Carol meets Stranger Things in this funny, sweary and moving festive story

Bind: paperback

Pages: 336

Dimensions: 129 x 198 mm

Publication Date: 15-10-2020

In Angola, South African and Cuban troops are engaged in the biggest tank battle since the second world war. Ministers want MI6 to intervene, but discreetly. The South Africans after all are battling to preserve apartheid. On the front line in Angola Thomas is exposed to the realities of war. But death is soon much closer to home. After thirty years at the heart of British Intelligence Adam Joseff has retired to his stamp collection. His loyalty is beyond question. Until he is murdered in the Caribbean. Then the questions start. Has Joseff betrayed his country? Or has he been betrayed? What was he doing in Antigua? Who could want to kill him? And why was he so interested in an Angolan student young enough to be his granddaughter? In the latest Dylan thriller Thomas and Julia confront death, betrayal and their own conscience. They start pulling the clues together to solve this latest mystery and then the politicians take over...

Bind: paperback

Pages: 320

Dimensions: 129 x 198 mm

Publication Date: 22-04-2021

Monterini, Italy. 1921. Yacobo Levi, an intellectual dreamer, works in the family bookshop. Angelo Ghione, a contadino, makes good wine by singing to the grapes. Lifetime best friends, their Jewish and Catholic families live side by side amidst a backdrop of village communal life, Etruscan tales and the growth of Benito Mussolini. Born on the same day, their children grow up and fall in love. When the 1938 racial laws are passed, the love between Bella and Rico thrives amidst and perhaps because of the fear and uncertainty. When Angelo discovers their liaison he suggests they marry but life is complicated and tensions simmer beneath the surface of love and friendship. When war is declared on the day of Bella's wedding to Michele a fellow Jew, the peaceful village they live in is torn apart, and the Levis find themselves displaced and fighting for their lives. Will life ever be the same again? The Tears of Monterini is a story of love and betrayal, loyalty and friendship. Inspired by true events in Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, this beautifully written debut will appeal to readers interested in history, Italy, romance, family dynamics and conflict.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 36

Dimensions: 129 x 198 mm

Publication Date: 30-07-2020

Sophie Adams is teaching her primary school class when suddenly the world goes dark. Chaos reigns for twelve long minutes and when the sun appears again, so does a man call him Joe unkempt, mysterious, kind and, Sophie notes very good-looking. Sophie gradually learns more about where Joe is from and why he has appeared. She questions his sanity and her own when he claims to be the son of God returned to Earth to sort out the mess we have made of it all, but evidence outweighs her doubts and before she knows it she is besotted by this handsome and mysterious stranger. News of Joe spreads far and wide and as he begins to trend on Twitter, world leaders start to take note, bickering between themselves over who is really behind this strange event, and with cries of fake news ringing around The White House the media goes wild. Joe steadily wins over the doubters and slowly, slowly his message begins to sink in and a groundswell of positivity moves across the world. Maybe, just maybe, we have time to put things right. Set against a beautiful New Zealand backdrop this wonderful debut touches upon many things that really matter, but ultimately it is a unique love letter to the world we live in today. '...it is wonderful, for so many different reasons it really lifted me up and gave me hope it showed me how simply we can make all the changes needed an incredibly engaging read the authors obviously have a great deal of love for the world we live in and the people that inhabit it.' Tales Before Bedtime 'I loved every word I loved the concept ...fascinating and so real a unique read.' The Book Lover's Boudoir '... a book that's stayed in my mind you can't help but keep reading a mix of satire yet serious themes. An intriguing, thrilling, almost prescient read subjective, thoughtful, current and frightening - a book everyone should pick up Bravo to the author for writing such a provocative read.' AlexJ book reviews

Bind: paperback

Pages: 336

Dimensions: 156 x 234 mm

Publication Date: 01-09-2020

Thomas Dylan is an unlikely spy. Rejected by MI6 he joins the Ministry of Defence where his first mission is a total failure. Unexpectedly he is then sent to Rio de Janeiro to recover a submarine interrogator stolen from the US Navy. In Brazil he discovers that those supposedly on his side, MI6 and the CIA, have their own priorities and that his life is definitely not one of them. A murderous game which began with the death of a British spy in Argentina is being played out in a city of sun, sea and secret police. When Dylan comes face-to-face with the brutal realities of Brazil's military dictatorship he knows he has to trust somebody. But who? The only thing he knows for sure is that the woman he wants to trust has been lying to him from the very beginning - should he take the risk? This is a fast-paced thriller in the vein of John le Carre and Eric Ambler.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 320

Dimensions: 129 x 198 mm

Publication Date: 25-06-2020

In a Brazilian favela a young couple is ageing before their very eyes In a New York biomedical research organisation, a ground-breaking trial is allowing researchers to harvest time from individuals and redistribute to those who want more In a Manhattan office block a highflying lawyer finds himself grappling with a moral and ethical dilemma Suddenly you are able to buy yourself more time. But should you? Julia Madison is about to take a break from her career in the family corporate law firm. A little disheartened by the excesses around her she decides to travel to Brazil to work with some of the poorest people there. Geoff Madison is on the verge of retirement, feeling his age and ready to slow down. His long-time best friend and client, Larry is just the opposite. Full of life and energy he is excited by the massive breakthrough his research company has made into harvesting time from one human, to give to another. He wants Geoff to represent him in this, the biggest opportunity of his life. Geoff isn't sure, but Larry ploughs on anyway, beginning trials with this new method. Gabriel and Isabella live in a favela and willingly give up some of their years for the money they are offered. But the drugs haven't been checked rigorously enough and they are ageing early - and quickly. By chance, Julia meets Gabriel and hears his shocking story. As Gabriel and Isabella's bodies race towards their untimely demise, Julia vows to bring their case to trial back in New York, placing her father's friendship with Larry at risk and causing Geoff to think carefully about right and wrong as he faces his own terminal diagnosis. A twisting and twisted drama that spans the favelas of Brazil to the courtrooms of NYC.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 256

Dimensions: 129 x 198 mm

Publication Date: 30-07-2020

"There is a safe, in a house, inside a secure compound in South America. Your job is to bring me the contents of that safe." Disgraced security consultant Tom Holt accepts a job from a mysterious lawyer, on behalf of a client named Capricorn. Holt's team comprises Anil, a safe-cracking ex-con; Ray, a disgruntled logistics man, and Becca, a fiery red-headed thief with as much attitude as she has talent for picking pockets. On arrival in the alluring Argentine city of Buenos Aires, Holt's past swiftly catches up with him. As he begins to question the client's motives, he finds there are darker, more sinister characters who show loyalty to his employer. Who is Capricorn? What's inside the safe? Tom Holt is about to discover how far he will go to expose the truth, even if it means risking everything, including his own life...

Bind: paperback

Pages: 320

Dimensions: 129 x 198 mm

Publication Date: 28-05-2020

It's 1960, and pregnant with her lover's child, Heather Fontwell makes a plan to visit her husband William at the tea plantation he manages in Kenya. She books passage on the SS Uganda, hoping to convince him that the baby is his. In Kenya, William is distracted by news of financial misconduct at the plantation, something he suspects may be down to Mombasa harbourmaster Carruthers – currently on the SS Uganda making his way back to Kenya... During her journey, Heather meets resistance, travelling as a single woman, particularly from the unpleasant Carruthers. The morning sickness she is hiding leads her to rely more and more on the thaliadomide tablets that the ship matron is handing out like sweets. When events take a tragic turn,William arrives at the port in Mombasa to find no wife and a captain and crew who seem to be hiding the truth...

Bind: hardback

Pages: 336

Dimensions: 129 x 198 mm

Publication Date: 21-05-2020

How can you ever live up to the memory of someone you hardly remember? Annie is five when her sister Gemma leaves for school one day and never returns. The family's lives are changed forever with Gemma's disappearance and Annie feels neglected and unloved. When she is just sixteen, she decides she can no longer live in the shadow of her perfect but absent sister and she leaves home, falling in and out of jobs and relationships, her resentment for Gemma always there, bubbling under the surface. Many years later she reluctantly returns home to care for her mother, ill with cancer. Her anger only grows when she sees Gemma's room still kept as a shrine while hers is now her mother's sewing room, but as she cares for her mum she begins to soften and egged on by her best friend Priti she realises she has to uncover what happened to Gemma, for all their sakes. Her research puts her in danger but with the help of a fabulous cast of characters and a satisfying twist in the tale, she finally discovers the truth - but can she ever accept it?

Bind: paperback

Pages: 336

Dimensions: 129 x 198 mm

Publication Date: 14-05-2020