A Pint of Plain is a quest to chronicle the state of the Irish pub today, & thereby to examine Irish culture at a time of great change. When the American writer Bill Barich moved to Dublin, he began searching for a traditional pub to serve as his local. Although he had no shortage of choices, he had trouble finding one that measured up to the archetypal ideal portrayed in Ireland's literature & such iconic movies as The Quiet Man. That suggested something deeper was at play
- a shift in the country's values & identity. As Barich roamed from hectic urban pubs to their dwindling rural counterparts, he met an array of extraordinary characters whose lives are bound up in the trade. He blends the history of Guinness into his account, & also explores the impact of the firms that export 'authentic' Irish pubs around the world. A Pint of Plain will be irresistible to anyone who has been touched by Ireland & cares about its future.
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With murder, everyone pays a price...

Why would a killer ignore expensive jewellery & take a pair of turtledoves as the

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The early twelfth century is a time for ambitious men to prosper
- & royal servant John Fitz Gilbert is one of them. But when the
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To Sir Robert Blenkinsopp, his frail, exquisite wife Amy is just another possession
- to be used, misused or discarded like
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Dido Kent's sister-in-law Margaret is attempting to marry her off to the ghastly clergyman Doctor Prowdlee, with his abominable side-whiskers. Dido, however, is determined to refuse him. As punishment she is sent on a journey as companion to her rich, hypochondriac Aunt Manners
- whom the family wants to keep on the right side of. When they arrive at Charcombe Manor, Aunt Manners' childhood home, they find a mystery lying in wait for them. The rich heiress Letitia Verney has disappeared while visiting the house, & Mr Tom Lomax is suspected of abducting her. Dido, upon hearing his story, is inclined to believe in his innocence
- but how is she to explain the impossibility of Miss Verney vanishing into thin air? & there is also the abandoned wing of Charcombe Manor to be considered. Why do lights appear there at night? The house is full of enigmas, with its memories of old family quarrels & its crying ghost that keeps visitors awake. As the mystery intensifies, Miss Dido Kent embarks on her most intriguing investigation yet.

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Holly lives & works in the beautiful town of Willowbury in Somerset. An incorrigible optimist, she is determined to change the

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With the city of Exeter ravaged by an outbreak of the yellow plague, Sir John de Wolfe, the county coroner, must divide his time between visiting his sick brother, William, who has been struck down by the disease, & dealing with a series of brutal murders which appears to be linked to a revival of heresy in the city. When some of the cathedral canons begin a crusade against this danger to the Church, Sir John finds himself accused of being too sympathetic to the heretics, bringing him into conflict with the ecclesiastic authorities. As the situation worsens, the coroner must seek sanctuary in order to save his skin. Can he survive long enough to unmask the real killer? ...

In the tradition of Ellis Peters, A Plague on Both Your Houses introduces the physician Matthew Bartholomew, whose unorthodox but effective treatment of his patients frequently draws accusations of heresy from his more traditional colleagues. Besides his practice, Bartholomew is teacher of Medicine at Michaelhouse, part of the fledgling University of Cambridge. In 1348, the inhabitants of Cambridge live under the shadow of a terrible pestilence that has ravaged Europe & is travelling relentlessly eastward towards Engl&. Bartholomew, however, is distracted by the sudden & inexplicable death of the Master of Michaelhouse
- a death the University authorities do not want investigated. When three more scholars die in mysterious circumstances, Bartholomew defies the University & begins his own enquiry. His pursuit for the truth leads him into a complex tangle of lies & intrigue that causes him to question the innocence of his closest friends, & even his family. & then the Black Death finally arrives & Bartholomew is dragged deeper & deeper into a quagmire which threatens not only his life, but the continued existence of the University & the future of the town.
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A handful of grain is found in the pocket of a murdered businessman…

Rex Fortescue, king of a financial empire,

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A classic Marple mystery, superbly read by Joan Hickson. Available for the first time on audio. Rex Fortescue, king of a financial empire, was sipping tea in his ?counting house? when he suffered an agonising & sudden death. On later inspection, the pockets of the deceased were found to contain traces of cereals. Yet, it was the incident in the parlour which confirmed Jane Marples suspicion that here she was looking at a case of crime by rhyme? Read by Joan Hickson ...