A fast-paced historical mystery adventure for readers aged 9 years with gorgeous Edwardian period detail Perfect for fans of Chris Riddell's Goth Girl series Enid Blyton & Robin Stevens's Murder Most Unladylike series When a priceless painting is stolen our dauntless heroines Sophie & Lil find themselves faced with forgery trickery & deceit on all sides! Be amazed as the brave duo pit their wits against this perilous puzzle! Marvel at their cunning plan to unmask the villain & prove themselves detectives to be reckoned with
- no matter what dangers lie ahead It's their most perilous adventure yet! Praise for The Clockwork Sparrow'A wonderful book with a glorious heroine & a true spirit of adventure'
- Katherine Rundell author of Rooftoppers A real page-turner it has murders spies & gangs of thieves Thrilling!'
- Indiana aged 10 years Love Readingfor Kids reviewer' Dastardliness on a big scale is uncovered in this well-plotted evocative novel'
- Nicolette Jones The Sunday Times' It's a dashing plot an atmospheric setting & an extensive & imaginative cast Katherine Woodfine handles it all with aplomb'
- Julia Eccleshare Guardian' An incredible read full of mystery wonder & adventure This is now one of my top ten'
- Celeste age 13 years Love Reading 4 Kids reviewer The Painted Dragon is the third book in the Sinclair's Mysteries quartet which is perfect for fans of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls & M G Leonard's Beetle Boy The other books are The Clockwork Sparrow & The Jewelled Moth & look out for the thrilling conclusion in The Midnight Peacock coming in October! Katherine Woodfine is a true champion of children's literature Until 2015 she was Arts Project Manager for Booktrust where she project-managed the Children's Laureateship & YALC the UK's first Young Adult Literature Convention curated by Malorie Blackman She is part of the founding team at Down the Rabbit Hole a monthly show for Resonance FM discussing children's literature Katherine blogs at followtheyellowcouk She lives in London





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Egypt 1912 Amelia Peabody & her dashing archaeologist husband Radcliffe Emerson are once again in danger as they search for a priceless stolen bust of legendary Queen Nefertiti Arriving in Cairo for another thrilling excavation season Amelia is relaxing in her elegant hotel suite when a man with knife protruding from his back staggers into her chamber & utters a single word -' Murder'
- before collapsing on the floor dead It soon becomes apparent that someone has saved Amelia from a would-be assassin-someone who is keeping a careful eye on the intrepid archaeologist & there can be only one answer the brilliant master of disguise Sethos For Amelia this excavation season will prove to be unforgettable; one where a brilliant criminal will offer his final challenge & perhaps be unmasked at last' Think Miss Marple with early feminist gloss crossed with Indiana Jones' The Guardian
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Kitty Fane is the beautiful but shallow wife of Walter a bacteriologist stationed in Hong Kong Unsatisfied by her marriage she starts an affair with charming attractive & exciting Charles Townsend But when Walter discovers her deception he exacts a strange & terrible vengeance Kitty must accompany him to his new posting in remote mainland China where a cholera epidemic rages First published to a storm of protest The Painted Veil is a classic story of a woman's spiritual awakening ...

Poet aesthete & hedonist Baudelaire was also one of the most groundbreaking art critics of his time Here he explores beauty fashion dandyism the purpose of art & the role of the artist & describes the painter who for him expresses most fully the drama of modern life GREAT IDEAS Throughout history some books have changed the world They have transformed the way we see ourselves
- & each other They have inspired debate dissent war & revolution They have enlightened outraged provoked & comforted They have enriched lives
- & destroyed them Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers pioneers radicals & visionaries whose ideas shook civilization & helped make us who we are

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What makes the Book of Kells such an extraordinary example of illuminated manuscript? Why is Durer's self-portrait so iconic? How did Turner's Rain Steam Speed turn the art world on its head? What's so great about Jasper John's Flag? & who was Whistler's mother anyway? Art history is filled with paintings that shocked intrigued enraged & mystified their audiences
- paintings that exemplified the period in which they were created & forever changed the way we think Here one hundred examples of these icons of art are presented in beautiful high-quality reproductions Each double-page spread features lavish illustrations & details as well as engaging texts that explain why the painting belongs in the pantheon of world-changing art Published in association with the Stadel Museum Frankfurt
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD & will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play The Palace
- Series
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Translated by Barbara Bray from the French version of the Albanian by Jusuf Vrioni At the heart of the Sultan's vast empire stands the mysterious Palace of Dreams Inside the dreams of every citizen are collected sorted & interpreted in order to identify the 'master-dreams' that will provide the clues to the Empire's destiny & that of its Monarch An entire nation's consciousness is thus meticulously laid bare & at the mercy of its government The Palace of Dreams is Kadare's macabre vision of tyranny & oppression & was banned upon publication in Albania in 1981 ...

' For Christmas I would like all of Philip Kerr's Berlin Noir novels' Sam Mendes Guardian' Blends high-powered storytelling with a rich piece of historical re-creation' Independent ' Kerr makes his star turns
- Heydrich Himmler et al
- eerily believable' Times ' Powerful period flavour; a gruff subversive hero; Kerr delivers the good' Literary Review' Echoes of Raymond Chandlervivid & well-researched' Evening Standard The second in Philip Kerr's iconic ' Berlin Noir' trilogy The Pale Criminal sees detective Bernie Gunther return to hunt one of the most evil killers in human history Bernie Gunther is back on the mean streets of Berlin with his new partner Bruno Stahlecker another ex-police officer But on a seemingly straightforward stakeout Bruno is killed & Bernie suddenly finds himself tapped for a much bigger job A serial sex murderer is killing Aryan teenage girls in Berlin
- & what's worse he's making utter fools of the police Gunther is forced to accept a temporary post in Obergruppenfuehrer Reinhard Heydrich's state Security Service with a team of men underneath him tasked purely with hunting the killer But can he trust his team any more than he can trust his superiors? An unflinching fast-paced thriller exploring the grisly excesses of Nazi subculture The Pale Criminal will be loved by fans of Robert Harris & Frederick Forsythe


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The second book in Bernard Cornwell's epic & bestselling series on the making of England & the fate of his great hero Uhtred of Bebbanburg BBC2's major Autumn 2015 TV show THE LAST KINGDOM is based on the first two books in the series When peace is torn apart by bloody Danish steel Uhtred must fight to save a king who distrusts him Skeptical of a treaty between the Vikings & Wessex Uhtred takes his talent for mayhem to Cornwall gaining treasure & a mysterious woman on the way But when he is accused of massacring Christians he finds lies can be as deadly as steel Still when pious King Alfred flees to a watery refuge it is the pagan warrior he relies on Now Uhtred must fight a battle which will shape history
- & confront the Viking with the banner of the white horse Uhtred of Bebbanburg's mind is as sharp as his sword A thorn in the side of the priests & nobles who shape his fate this Saxon raised by Vikings is torn between the life he loves & those he has sworn to serve
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ENGLAND IS BORNBBC2's major TV series THE LAST KINGDOM is based on Bernard Cornwell's bestselling novels on the making of England & the fate of his great hero Uhtred of Bebbanburg The Pale Horseman is the second book in the series Season 2 of the epic TV series premiers this March ALONE IN A SEA OF ENEMIES BOUND TOGETHER BY LOYALTY BELIEF & DESPERATIONWessex led by the pious King Alfred is the last Saxon stronghold against the savage strength of the Vikings Now it is struggling for its very existence Uhtred a Saxon raised by Vikings is no ordinary warrior As sharp of mind as he is of sword his lust for life & battle sits badly with Alfred & his priests But they face dire odds & Uhtred's unique knowledge & fearlessness mean that he may be their only hope in the coming battle ...