Corduroy Mansions Pimlico is an oasis of old-fashioned civilisation its inhabitants considerate & peace-loving. But beneath the polite exterior seismic change is stirring. Barbara Ragg makes an eye-popping discovery about her stolid Scottish suitor's past while Oedipus Snark
- newly appointed & tirelessly self-interested Government Minister
- has a close encounter in Switzerland that leaves him a new man all together. Then plucky canine Freddie de la Hay goes missing & his owner widower William French is so shaken by an unexpected declaration of love that he seriously considers making a disappearance himself. Goodhearted well-intentioned but often to be found barking up the wrong tree the residents of Corduroy Mansions remain a thoroughly entertaining example to us all.

...

Tracing family histories is a popular pursuit & everyone loves the idea of discovering where they really come from. But when Bobbie Neate began to investigate her own family's past she made some shocking discoveries which would cause shockwaves within her own family as well as on a much wider national scale. The result of Bobbie's quest is an enthralling journey not only into her own past but also into the history of this country & its leaders. It was after the death of her beloved mother that Bobbie started to question strange events from her childhood. From hazy recollections grew firm lines of enquiry & eventually she was able to match her memories with actual historical data. Her discoveries were mind-blowing. Her stepfather
- & indeed the man she had referred to as 'father' for most of her life
- had kept a huge secret & had lied about who he really was. In this intriguing biographical detective story the author reveals that Louis T Stanley well known in Formula One racing circles had hidden his true backgroud from his wife & from the public. He was not the man he pretended to be but was the illegitimate son of an elderly serving Prime Minister HH Asquith & the young Venetia Stanley an aristocrat's daughter. One hundred years after these events took place the truth behind one of the biggest cover-ups in British political history can be revealed. As well as serving as an important historical document which will challenge commonly-held opinions of modern British history. Conspiracy of Secrets is equally a revealing personal memoir which uncovers what kind of a man Louis T Stanley really was. His stifling influence over the author & her family is explored as are the extraordinary lengths he went to in order to cover up his past & his true identity. This wonderfully researched book is a gripping story of forbidden love betrayal & identity.

...

The dour days of Cromwell are over. Charles II is well established at White Hall Palace his mistress at hand in rooms over the Holbein bridge the heads of some of the regicides on public display. London seethes with new energy freed from the strictures of the Protectorate but many of its inhabitants have lost their livelihoods. One is Thomas Chaloner a reluctant spy for the feared Secretary of State John Thurloe & now returned from Holland in desperate need of employment. His erstwhile boss knowing he has many enemies at court recommends Thomas to Lord Clarendon but in return demands that Thomas keep him informed of any plot against him. But what Thomas discovers is that Thurloe had sent another ex-employee to White Hall & he is dead supposedly murdered by footpads near the Thames. Chaloner volunteers to investigate his killing: instead he is despatched to the Tower to unearth the gold buried by the last Governor. He discovers not treasure but evidence that greed & self-interest are uppermost in men's minds whoever is in power & that his life has no value to either side. ...

Did Michael Jackson fake his own death in a bid to escape financial ruin? Is swine flu a dastardly plot by global pharmaceutical companies or a scare campaign created by the pork industrys competitors? Are the British Royal Family really reptilian shape-shifting aliens? Youll discover startling evidence on these topics & many more in this compelling compendium of the worlds scariest & wackiest conspiracy theories. This guide leaves no stone unturned as it delves into such conundrums as the mysterious circumstances of Alexander Litvinenkos death the alleged withheld evidence pertaining to the 7 July bombings & whether global warming is a hoax. Whether youre a sceptic or a self-confessed conspiracy junkie youll find a cover-up for every occasion. & remember just because youre paranoid doesnt mean theyre not after you... ...

Would British scientists really test sarin never poison on young volunteers & tell them it was research for a cure for colds? Would they really release E coli in Swindon & Southampton to try out germ warfare techniques? Even 50 years on on-ones telling the whole story. Conspiracies & cover-ups real or imagined have shaped our world. Now leaked cables & declassified papers are rewriting the history of our times. More information must be good but how do you tell truth from fiction? In this fresh readable look at 50 conspiracy theories Ian Shircore cuts through the fog & misinformation to deliver a balance analysis of the key facts behind the unsettling suspicions that litter our recent past. Todays new evidence
- from Wiki Leaks freedom of information requests & declassified archives
- has solved some classic mysteries. Yet it raises more questions than ever about the assassinations of the 1960s the dirty secrets of the late 20th century & the earth-shaking events of recent years. Once youve see what Wiki Leaks has revealed about the radioactive poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko you wont be so sure about the British secret service. Once youve weighed the evidence yourself you may well decide there was a Second Yorkshire Ripper that cricketing hero Bob Woolmer was murdered & that rock icon Jim Morrisons death in Paris was anything but straightforward.

...

Sam Toop lives in a funeral parlour blessed (or cursed) with an unusual gift. While his father buries the dead Sam is haunted by their constant demands for attention. Trouble is afoot on the 'other side'
- there is a horrible disease that is mysteriously imprisoning ghosts into empty houses in the world of the living. & Sam is caught in the middle
- will he be able to bring himself to help? Blue Peter Award winner Gareth P. Jones has woven a darkly comic story a wonderfully funny adventure that roams the grimy streets of Victorian London.

...

As he settles into the village life of Aidensfield North Yorkshire Police Constable Nick Rhea begins to understand the complexities of rural law enforcement much of with proves to be very unofficial but highly effective. We hear of his dilemmas as he is torn between his desire to prove the crippled Sidney Chapman's dog innocent of sheep-worrying & the need to do his duty. Farmer Lowe's sheepdog presents a different problem: the overworked old dog is pretending to be deaf & Rhea finds himself drawn into the crisis; without the dog the cows cannot be milked. Local colours & characters abound. The mixed creeds of the community provide more headaches for Rhea: for example Jame Bathurst's funeral goes quite smoothly except that the village grave-digger does not want the death-bed convert buried in Catholic ground & has omitted to dig the grave. Rivalry abounds between Anglicans Catholics & Methodists & Rhea has his work cut out. More problems stem from the unlawful activities of Arnold Merryweather's bus with its massive conductress Hannah a jockey who steals supplies for his hungry horse & the old railway worker who vanishes as the last train passes through the village. In all a vivid light-hearted insight into rural bobbying. ...

Britains most popular bobby turns detective! A delightful account of Constable Rheas foray into the CID whose initials are said to mean Constable in Disguise. Young Rhea is appointed as an Aide to the CID an essential part of every constables training. Adopting civilian clothes he joins the Criminal Investigation Department to learn about the work of the men in plain clothes. Asked to keep a watchful eye on a house thought to be used as a brothel Rhea quietly climbs the roof & sends a tile crashing through the window. When the woman resident & her five brothers set about the neighbours for causing the damage the police turn out in force & arrest everybody.. .meanwhile Rhea lies low on the roof. Investigating a series of housebreakings the CID visit a local snooker hall. There the Detective Sergeant challenges two strong suspects to a match on the understanding that if he wins they will admit to the crime. Packed with stories that reveal the joys & sorrows of country folk Constable in Disguise" creates a colourful picture of Rheas foray into detective work in North Yorkshire." ...

Constable on the Prowl" is exceptional among Nicholas Rheas books in that it takes place entirely at night: it brings together a number of incidents anecdotes & reflections on the theme of night-duty
- which does not seem to be Constable Nicks favourite part of his job! Nick gets to know his collegues PC Alf Ventress & Sergeant Oscar Blaketon & the local rogue with a heart of gold
- Claude Jeremiah Greengrass
- who we catch losing his trousers & shirt as he makes a hasty retreat down a ladder from a ladys bedroom! There is company high-jinks & one or two practical jokes as Nick settles into life in the warm-hearted village he will soon think of as home."


...

In the spring of 1895 the life of Constance Wilde changed irrevocably. Up until the conviction of her husband Oscar for homosexual crimes she had held a privileged position in society. Part of a gilded couple she was a popular childrens author a fashion icon & a leading campaigner for womens rights. A founding member of the magical society the Golden Dawn her pioneering & questioning spirit encouraged her to sample some of the more controversial aspects of her time. Mrs Oscar Wilde was a phenomenon in her own right. But that spring Constances entire life was eclipsed by scandal. Forced to flee to the Continent with her two sons her glittering literary & political career ended abruptly. Having changed her name she lived in exile until her death. Franny Moyle now tells Constances story with a fresh eye & remarkable new material. Drawing on numerous unpublished letters she brings to life the story of a woman at the heart of fin-de-siecle London & the Aesthetic movement. In a compelling & moving tale of an unlikely couple caught up in a world unsure of its moral footing she uncovers key revelations about a woman who was the victim of one of the greatest betrayals of all time. ...