On the surface it may seem slightly surprising that a master of verbal humour should also be a devotee of silent comedy, but Paul Merton is completely passionate about the early days of Hollywood comedy & the comic geniuses who dominated it. His knowledge is awesome
- as anyone who watched his BBC 4 series Silent Clowns or attended the events he has staged nationwide will agree
- his enthusiasm is infectious, & these qualities are to be found in abundance in his new book. Starting with the very earliest pioneering short films, he traces the evolution of silent comedy through the 1900s & considers the works of the genre's greatest exponents
- Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy & Harold Lloyd
- showing not only how each developed in the course of their career but also the extent to which they influenced each other. At the same time, Paul brings a comedian's insight to bear on the art of making people laugh, & explores just how the great comic ideas, routines, gags & part-falls worked & evolved. His first book for ten years, this richly illustrated history of silent comedy is destined to be a classic.



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When a gruesomely slaughtered body wrapped in plastic is discovered, Reiko Himekawa soon uncovers eleven other murders with a similar 'signature' & a reference to something called 'strawberry night, ' a group that recruits victims & murderers on the internet. To solve the case, Reiko is forced to reach back into her own troubled past. ...

Berlin 1930. Sound film is conquering the big screen, leaving many by the wayside: producers, cinema owners
- & silent film stars.
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Detective Jane Rizzoli discovers the rest of the body on a nearby rooftop, the head nearly severed. The only clue Jane has is two strands of hair, but it's enough for Forensic Pathologist Maura Isles to make a startling connection. This violent attack has its roots in an unsolved murder-suicide case from nineteen years ago. ...

When 16-year old Lisa gives crucial evidence in the manslaughter case that puts her stepfather in prison, the trauma that follows causes her to make some dramatic, life-changing decisions. Besieged by guilt & tormented by her mother's grief, Lisa makes a conscious decision to no longer speak. She packs her bags & heads for Sheffield. ...

In the middle of the night, the burnt headless body of a young woman is found on the steps of a Baptist church in Harlem. With NYPD cop Mike Chapman, Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper is one of the first at the horrifying scene. Then another woman is slaughtered & found on the steps of a Catholic church in Little Italy, her throat slashed & her tongue cut out. It becomes clear there is a zealous serial killer on the loose. Now Alex & Mike must keep one step ahead of a religious fanatic bent on silencing the women he believes are bringing shame to his faith
- before he kills anyone else.
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Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright.
All the animals gather together,
Silent, harmonious,


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This book introduces readers to some of the finest Christmas detective stories of the past. Martin Edwards' selection blends festive pieces from much-loved authors with one or two stories which are likely to be unfamiliar even to diehard mystery fans ...

As this science fiction classic opens, botanist Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) has spent three years abroad the space freighter Valley Forge preserving the only botanical specimens left on earth under huge Geodesic domes. When he receives orders to destroy t ...

British film star Amanda Delany has the world at her feet. Young & talented, she has had a string of affairs with the hottest actors around. The tabloids can't get enough of her & she, in turn, can't get enough of the spotlight. Then, late one night, Amanda puts the key in her front door for the very last time. The next morning, the press has gathered on her doorstep once again, this time to report on her brutal murder. DI Anna Travis is shocked when she discovers the truth behind Amanda's glamorous public image. For all her fame & fortune Amanda Dalany was lonely, damaged & afraid. But who would want to take her life? While Amanda & the team, headed by the ever demanding DCI James Langton, grapple to track down Amanda's killer, Anna has challenges of her own to overcome. Promotion is within her grasp. but when the time comes for her to stand before the board, she faces an adversary from the least likely quarter. ...