It's Moscow, 1936 & Stalin's Great Terror is beginning. In a deconsecrated Church, a young woman is found dead, her mutilated body displayed on the altar for all to see. Captain Alexei Dimitrevich Korolev of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Moscow Militia, is asked to investigate. But when he discovers that the victim is an American citizen, the NKVD
- the most feared organisation in Russia
- becomes involved. As more bodies are discovered & the pressure from above builds, Korolev begins to question who he can trust; & who, in this Russia where fear, uncertainty & hunger prevails, are the real criminals. Soon, Korolev will find not only his moral & political ideals threatened, but also his life...

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For those willing to go to the edge, for those who love to run close to the sky, here are some of the world`s most challenging & beautiful running trails & races. Twelve trails are covered in depth, & many more are included. From Norway to South Africa, Hong Kong to Colorado, & Switzerland to Columbia, these profiles are accompanied by travel information, as well as stories from those with experience on these trails, whether talking about the music they run to, or the good will shared among fellow runners. ...

Set in contemporary Pakistan, London & Egypt, Zarrie Bano is a glamorous 28 year-old daughter of a wealthy Muslim landowner, Habib Khan. When his only son is killed in a freak riding accident, Habib decides to make Zarri his heiress, resurrecting an ancient tradition which decrees that an heiress must remain celibate, & forcing his daughter into marriage to the Holy Koran. ...

Are you looking to escape London for a few hours? Do you enjoy a walk in the country or a leisurely afternoon stroll, but don`t want to take your car? Inside Pathfinder (R) Guide to Country Walks near London are 28 fantastic country walks all starting & finishing at railway stations & within easy reach of London mainline railway terminals. Suitable for walkers of all abilities, this selection of rural walks is h&-picked from eight current best-selling Pathfinder (R) Guides covering SE Engl&. Ranging from 2-13 miles in length, each circular walk takes in some of the many delights of the countryside surrounding London
- from meanders between small villages & riverside rambles to hillside hikes & scenic strolls. So if you don`t have a car, or want to reduce your carbon footprint & have a truly environmentally friendly & `green` walk, you can still enjoy the countryside near London with Pathfinder (R) Guide to Country Walks near London. Completely car-free, each walk is graded for difficulty, from family rambles to challenging hikes, & has been collected together by an author who contributes regularly to national & local press on walks in London, Surrey & Essex. From the Chilterns to Essex & Surrey, each walk in Pathfinder (R) Guide to Country Walks near London is accompanied by clear, large-scale Ordnance Survey route maps & GPS waypoints to help you navigate your walk with ease. There is also a wealth of useful information accompanying each walk, including good pubs nearby & places of interest en route. With each walk easily accessible by train, & information on routes & connections provided for each, a car is no longer essential to escape the capital city for a walk in the country. Pathfinder (R) Guides are Britain`s best loved walking guides. Made with durable covers, they are the perfect companion for countryside walks throughout Britain. Each title features circular walks with easy-to-follow route descriptions, tried & tested by seasoned walkers & accompanied by beautiful photography & clear Ordnance Survey mapping. The routes range from extended strolls to exhilarating hikes, so there is something for everyone.
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In ” The Home of the Blizzard”, Sir Douglas Mawson records his historic expedition to explore uncharted land in Antarctica. Pitted against formidable natural forces, he & his team faced unrelenting winds with speeds of up to two hundred miles per hour as well as freezing temperatures & day-long blizzards. They traversed the previously unexplored King George V Land directly south of Australia & collected geological samples & magnetic readings. After accident & illness led to the death of his two teammates, a starving & frostbitten Mawson finished one hundred miles of the return journey alone. ...

A bewitching debut novel in the vein of the much-loved classic Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe. It's 1956 & Samuel Lake, a handsome preacher, is voted out of his ministry by yet another congregation, disappointed by his relentless pleas for them to live more charitable lives. Out of options & out of pocket, Samuel & his family are forced to move in with their Arkansas in-laws, the rambunctious Moses clan. At first they thrive in the unruly sea of relatives
- Willa, Samuel's wife, runs the bar for Grandma Calla, while the boys, Noble & Bienville, run riot through the surrounding countryside. But when Swan, their formidable but loveable 11-year-old tomboy, crosses the path of neighbour Raz Ballenger, things take a turn for the worse. Raz Ballenger, horse trainer, is a man who rules both his family & his animals through terror. Used to instant obedience, he is insulted when Swan leaps to his son's defence, an act that sets a whole chain of unexpected & terrible events into motion...
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A bewitching debut novel in the vein of the much-loved classic Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe. It`s 1956 & Samuel Lake, a handsome preacher, is voted out of his ministry by yet another congregation, disappointed by his relentless pleas for them to live more charitable lives. Out of options & out of pocket, Samuel & his family are forced to move in with their Arkansas in-laws, the rambunctious Moses clan. At first they thrive in the unruly sea of relatives -- Willa, Samuel`s wife, runs the bar for Grandma Calla, while the boys, Noble & Bienville, run riot through the surrounding countryside. But when Swan, their formidable but loveable 11-year-old tomboy, crosses the path of neighbour Raz Ballenger, things take a turn for the worse. Raz Ballenger, horse trainer, is a man who rules both his family & his animals through terror. Used to instant obedience, he is insulted when Swan leaps to his son`s defence, an act that sets a whole chain of unexpected & terrible events into motion! ...

The story & science of how animals find their way home. Home is the place we long for most, when we feel we have travelled too far, for too long. Since boyhood, acclaimed scientist & author Bernd Heinrich has returned every year to a beloved patch of woods in his native western Maine. But while it`s the pull of nostalgia that informs our desire to go back, what is it that drives the homing instinct in animals? Heinrich explores the fascinating science behind the mysteries of animal migration: how geese imprint true visual landscape memory over impossible distances; how the subtlest of scent trails are used by many creatures, from fish to insects to amphibians, to pinpoint their home; & how the tiniest of songbirds are equipped for solar & magnetic orienteering over vast distances. Most movingly, Heinrich chronicles the spring return of a pair of sandhill cranes to their pond in the Alaska tundra. With his marvellously evocative prose, Heinrich portrays the psychological state of the newly arrived birds, articulating just what their yearly return truly means, to the birds & to those fortunate enough to witness this transcendently beautiful ritual.` The Homing Instinct` is an enchanting study of this phenomenon of the natural world, reminding us that to discount our own feelings toward home is to ignore biology itself. ...

The story & science of how animals find their way home. Home is the place we long for most, when we feel we have travelled too far, for too long. Since boyhood, acclaimed scientist & author Bernd Heinrich has returned every year to a beloved patch of woods in his native western Maine. But while it`s the pull of nostalgia that informs our desire to go back, what is it that drives the homing instinct in animals? Heinrich explores the fascinating science behind the mysteries of animal migration: how geese imprint true visual landscape memory over impossible distances; how the subtlest of scent trails are used by many creatures, from fish to insects to amphibians, to pinpoint their home; & how the tiniest of songbirds are equipped for solar & magnetic orienteering over vast distances. Most movingly, Heinrich chronicles the spring return of a pair of sandhill cranes to their pond in the Alaska tundra. With his marvellously evocative prose, Heinrich portrays the psychological state of the newly arrived birds, articulating just what their yearly return truly means, to the birds & to those fortunate enough to witness this transcendently beautiful ritual. The Homing Instinct is an enchanting study of this phenomenon of the natural world, reminding us that to discount our own feelings toward home is to ignore biology itself. ...

Mimlu Sen is living a bohemian life in Paris when she witnesses an electrifying performance by three wandering minstrels from rural India. They wear flowing, multicoloured robes & play frenetic rhythms on strange instruments made from wood & clay, capturing the many moods of nature & passion. After her turbulent past, including a year in a Calcutta jail, Mimlu instantly knows it is time to set off on the journey of her life. One of the minstrels, Paban Das Baul, is a gifted young musician with a growing international reputation. Mimlu defies prejudice to travel with him deep into the heart of Bengal, the rural hinterland behind Calcutta where few tourists ever go. In this fascinating & unusual book, she describes how they make their way across country, from shanty town to village, from monastery to festival, perched on the roofs of buses & squeezed inside trains, encountering tantrics & sages, exorcisms & witch sightings, catfish that climb trees & esoteric secrets
- & fall in love. With Paban`s encouragement, Mimlu too performs for alms
- `gathering honey` in the traditional Baul way
- & is initiated into a hidden world of song, sensuality & adventure as wild & unpredictable as the landscape itself.


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