Do you believe in ghosts? Do we really live on in some conscious form after we die & is that form capable of communicating with the world of the living?... Aye right. That was Jack Parlabanes stance on the matter anyway. But this was before he found himself in the more compromising position of being not only dead himself but worse: dead with an exclusive still to file. From his position on high Parlabane relates the events leading up to his demise largely concerning the efforts of charismatic psychic Gabriel Lafayette to reconcile the scientific with the spiritual by submitting to controlled laboratory tests. Parlabane is brought in as an observer due to his capacities as both a sceptic & an expert on deception but he soon finds his certainties crumbling & his assumptions turned upside down as he encounters phenomena for which he can deduce no rational explanation. Perhaps in a world in which he can find himself elected rector of an esteemed Scottish university anything truly is possible. One thing he knows for certain however: Death is not the end
- its the ultimate undercover assignment.
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Martin Crimps 17 scenarios for the theatre shocking & hilarious by turn are a rollercoaster of late 20th-century obsessions. From pornography & ethnic violence to terrorism & unprotected sex its strange array of nameless characters attempt to invent the perfect story to encapsulate our time. Since its premiere at the Royal Court Theatre in March 1997 Attempts on her Life" has been translated into more than 20 languages. The National Theatre presented its first major UK revival in March 2007." ...

It was 1921 when Lord Peter Wimsey first encountered the Attenbury emeralds. The recovery of the magnificent gem in Lord Attenburys most dazzling heirloom made headlines
- & launched a shell-shocked young aristocrat on his career as a detective. Now it is 1951: a happily married Lord Peter has just shared the secrets of that mystery with his wife the detective novelist Harriet Vane. Then the new young Lord Attenbury
- grandson of Lord Peters first client
- seeks his help again this time to prove who owns the gigantic emerald that Wimsey last saw in 1921. It will be the most intricate & challenging mystery he has ever faced.. . Since the publication of A Presumption of Death which was set in 1941 in the wartime English countryside readers have been eagerly asking for this story
- a wholly original & utterly engrossing new detective adventure.



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This solemn rhythmic intonation of the shipping forecast on BBC radio is as familiar as the sound of Big Ben chiming the hour. Since its first broadcast in the 1920s it has inspired poems songs & novels in addition to its intended objective of warning generations of seafarers of impending storms & gales. Sitting at home listening to the shipping forecast can be a cosily reassuring experience. Theres no danger of a westerly gale eight veering southwesterly increasing nine later (visibility poor) gusting through your average suburban living room blowing the Sunday papers all over the place & startling the cat. Yet familiar though the sea areas are by name few people give much thought to where they are or what they contain. In ATTENTION ALL SHIPPING Charlie Connelly wittily explores the places behind the voice those mysterious regions whose names seem often to bear no relation to conventional geography. Armchair travel will never be the same again. ...

Meet the ghosts who prophesy great danger & great trouble & those death singers
- the Sirens
- whose irresistible singing has

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Atticus Grammatticus Cattypus Claw the world's greatest REFORMED cat burglar is back. This time the tabby with talent is on the right side of the law. & when Jimmy Magpie & his gang are busted out of jail by a mysterious villain & an evil cat called Ginger Biscuit Atticus knows from bitter experience he's going to need all his skill & courage to catch them. Can Atticus overcome his murky past with the help of the Cheddar family in order to prevent the biggest crime in history & settle a score of his own? This is the hilarious & eagerly-awaited sequel to Atticus Claw Breaks the Law". Perfect for readers age 7+ children will love Atticus' second adventure which takes him from tea with the Queen to the dungeons of the Tower of London." ...

Atticus the Storyteller is determined to take part in the great Storytelling Festival near Troy. He leaves his family in Crete & sets off on a year-long journey round Greece with his donkey Melissa; & wherever he goes he tells his favourite myths to anyone who'll listen. The 100 myths include all the favourites such as the wanderings of Odysseus the labours of Heracles the stories of King Midas Daedalus & Icarus & Theseus & the Minotaur. Atticus's journey takes the reader to all the sites of the myths & gives a captivating glimpse of how life was lived in Ancient Greece. This is an unparalleled introduction to the Greek myths for younger children excitingly told wonderful to read aloud & illustrated on every opening with lively engaging colourful pictures full of authentic detail. In Orion's tradition of extra-large great-value story books this is an outstandingly good resource for every family. ...

The 5th century has dawned in blood. The young boy exiled thirty years ago has grown into a man. One stormy autumn day a mysterious rider is seen out on the plains. Attila has returned his sentence served to claim his kingdom. He will ride out at the head of no more than one hundred chosen men driven by the ambition to unite all the feuding Hunnish & Scythian tribes under single banner & a single king. An impossible ambition. For Attila & his chosen men must triumph over blizzards & deserts bandit kings & hidden mountain kingdoms & furious battle with the terrible Kutrigur Huns. But all will flock to his banner answer his call. His power is mysterious & inexpressible his strength of character & iron will cannot be opposed. & far to the west lies a promised empire both fabulously wealthy & tottering to its knees. An empire full of gold & silver & dark-eyed slavegirls the Empire of Rome. & this strange horde from out of the Scythian wilderness will bring a night to fall on that Empire like no other ...

The infamous leader of the Huns stills thirsts for blood & supremacy as he crosses the Danube & prepares to attack the Western Empire & face once more his boyhood friend-turned-foe: Aetius the Roman. For Attila is set on a plan that will take him right through the entire Italian peninsular & up to the gates of Rome. He must weigh up whether he should attack this the greatest of cities or whether the gamble is too high even for the most battle-hardened of warlords. In this tumultuous conclusion to the life of the warrior we see the biggest choices of his blood-soaked career played out & travel with him right into the silken tent where Attila must ultimately face his destiny. ...

Of all the conquerors who swept out of Central Asia two names stand out in European memory
- Attila the Hun & Genghis Khan the
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