Nominated for the Samuel Johnson Prize. We are constantly bombarded with inaccurate contradictory & sometimes misleading information
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Orphaned by an act of senseless violence that took their mother from them half-brothers Clarence Luckman & Elliott Danziger have been raised in state institutions unaware of any world outside. But their lives take a sudden turn when they are seized as hostages by a convicted killer en route to death row. Earl Sheridan is a psychopath of the worst kind but he has the potential to change the boys' lives for ever. As the trio set off on a frenetic escape from the law through California & Texas the two brothers must come to terms with the ever-growing tide of violence that follows in their wake
- something that forces them to make a choice about their lives & their relationship to one another.
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Three ambitious rivalrous sisters. & a deadly secret which one of them is determined to keep buried at any cost.. . Deeley is the fake wife of a Hollywood TV hunk who is secretly gay. But Deeley's five-year contract is up & his cut-throat publicist wants Deeley out. So dejected & penniless Deeley wends her way home to London hoping to re-establish links with her two estranged elder sisters.. . Devon is married to the nation's-favourite-rugby-hunk Matt & has her own highly successful TV career as the sexy hostess of her own cookery show. But behind her buxom facade Devon is lonely & frustrated & when a live celebrity cook-off shows her up as a fraud she leaves sweet Matt & runs off to Tuscany to learn a few lessons
- not just in cookery
- from an Italian master. Lastly there's Maxie: a politician's wife Maxie is fiercely ambitious. She's furious when Deeley hard on her luck sells the sisters' childhood story to a tabloid newspaper revealing their impoverished roots & unsavoury parentage. The story undermines Maxie's carefully cultivated image & the fallout threatens to be devastating. But Maxie is only too aware that there is much more Deeley could yet reveal. What murderous secret lies in the sisters' past? & just how far will Maxie go to keep it buried?

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A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch" is a classic " Worst Witch" story by Jill Murphy. "A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch" is the third of Jill Murphy's classic much-loved " The Worst Witch" series the original story of life at a magical boarding school perfect for 5-9 readers. Loveable but accident-prone Mildred Hubble is possibly the worst witch ever to go to Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches.. .A new term spells disaster for Mildred! Mildred is determined to lose her embarrassing reputation as the worst witch the Academy has ever seen
- but things rapidly get out of hand! Jill Murphy started putting books together (literally with a stapler) when she was six. " The Worst Witch" was first published in 1974 & this much-loved classic has been enjoyed by readers for more than 30 years. Jill Murphy also written & illustrated several award-winning picture books for younger children. If you'd like to read more of Mildred's disastrous adventures at Miss Cackle's Academy " The Worst Witch" " The Worst Witch Strikes Again" " The Worst Witch All at Sea" " The Worst Witch Saves the Day" & " The Worst Witch to the Rescue" are also available from Puffin & are perfect for children aged 5-9."
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Seeing gardening as a serious & even outrageous art form has placed Anne Wareham well outside of what usually passes for discussion of gardens. Impatient with received ideas eager to provoke The Bad-Tempered Gardener is the story of her development as a thinking gardener & the creation with her husband Charles Hawes of their acclaimed garden in the Welsh borders the Veddw. From the strange (plant obsessives a bizarre debut as a television presenter) to the everyday (deadheading sharing a garden) with frequent paeans to favourite plants & thoughtful pieces on show gardens & status this is an intelligent pugnacious & engaging book. It also unflinchingly conveys the challenges the hard work triumphs & failures behind the creation & development of a substantial contemporary garden. ...

Party girl Jane is forced to be her prim stepsisters bridesmaid
- with disastrous results. This is a raucous comedy from the author
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When Nat Carver & his Wolven pal Woody learn that their arch enemy is creating a bad werewolf pack they know they must stop him. Although it doesnt help that Nats having problems controlling his own shape-shifting abilities. Delving back into history the boys have to solve the clues & riddles to stop one of the wort monsters of all time! ...

The bad-tempered ladybird picks fights with every animal he meets but soon learns the importance of friends & turns into a far nicer happier bug. The beautifully illustrated pages of this entertaining book demonstrate the sizes of the different animals & the suns path across the sky as time passes. ...

It was an age of Empire an age of contrast & an age of dramatic change
- & one which would determine the destinies of nations as
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A comprehensive natural history of one of Britain s favourite animals The badger has for many years occupied a unique place in the British consciousness. Despite the fact that most people have never seen one the badger has become one of Britains best-loved animals. The number of organisations that use the badger as a logo the number of websites featuring information about badgers & the number of voluntary badger protection societies that exist are testament to this popularity. In fact the attitude of most ordinary people towards badgers is complex & contradictory involving a combination of familiarity & ignorance concern & indifference. For an increasing number of people badgers constitute an important source of interest & pleasure be it through watching them in their gardens or in the wild sharing badger-related knowledge & experiences with others via the internet or defending badgers against threats to their welfare. For others on the other hand badgers are a problem species that requires active management. In this highly anticipated new study Prof Tim Roper explores every aspects of the biology & behaviour of these fascinating animals. In doing so he reveals the complexities of a lifestyle that allows badgers to build communities in an astonishing variety of habitats ranging from pristine forests to city centres. He also reveals the facts behind the controversy surrounding the badgers role in transmitting tuberculosis to cattle shedding new light on an issue that has resulted in one of the most extensive wildlife research programmes ever carried out. ...