They say that diplomacy is a gentle art. That its finest practitioners are subtle sophisticated individuals for whom nuance & subtext are meat & drink. & that mastering it is a lifetime's work. But you do need a certain inclination in that direction. It's not something you can just pick up on the job. Which is a shame if you find yourself dropped unaccountably into a position of some significant diplomatic responsibility. If you don't really do diplomacy or haven't been to school with the right foreign bigwigs or aren't even sure whether a nod is as good as a wink to anyone sighted or otherwise then things are likely to go wrong. It's just a question of how badly... ...

Sam Vimes is a man on the run. Yesterday he was a duke a chief of police & the ambassador to the mysterious fat-rich country of Uberwald. Now he has nothing but his native wit & the gloomy trousers of Uncle Vanya (dont ask). Its snowing. Its freezing. & if he cant make it through the forest to civilization theres going to be a terrible war. But there are monsters on his trail. Theyre bright. Theyre fast. Theyre werewolves
- & theyre catching up. The Fifth Elephant" is Terry Pratchetts latest installment in the " Discworld" cycle this time starring dwarfs diplomacy intrigue & big lumps of fat."
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School life has never been so splendid as in these br&-new editions of the classic Blyton series St Clare's. The O' Sullivan twins & their friends are among the oldest girls at St Clare's now with their own studies! & soon there will be a decision about who is to be head girl next year. But in the meantime there is the poet Anne-Marie & the musician Felicity to contend with. Will they ever get along or will this term be just one long caterwaul? ...

Charley Davidson may not look like your everyday run-of-the-mill grim reaper but she has vowed to reap grimness wherever she goes despite this unfortunate fact. Sadly she gets sidetracked when the sexy sultry son of Satan Reyes Farrow moves in next door. As he is the main suspect in her arson case she has vowed to stay away from him until she can find out the truth. However when dead women start appearing in her apartment
- lost confused & terrified beyond reason
- Charley has no choice but to ask for Reyes's help especially when it becomes apparent that her own sister Gemma is the serial killer's next target. With his ability to observe incorporeally surely he can find out who's responsible. & even if he can't he is the one man alive who could protect Gemma no matter who or what came at her. But he wants something in return: Charley. All of her
- body & soul. & to keep her sister safe it is a price she might be willing to pay.. .


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A DAY FOR DYING: A young man with everything to live for is tragically drowned in a swimming pool during his own engagement party. What began as a day for rejoicing ends as a day for dying. When Inspector Thanet of Kent CID arrives at the scene of the death he soon realises that not everyone regards it as a tragedy
- what seemed at first to be a terrible accident now looks like a callous murder...ONCE TOO OFTEN: When the husband of well-known Kent journalist Jessica Dander is found crouching over his wife's body Inspector Thanet's suspicions are naturally aroused. But almost at once doubts creep in. Who for instance was the anonymous caller who rang for an ambulance some time earlier & who was the mysterious prowler Jessica had reported to the police...DEAD & GONE: When the wife of a prominent QC is found dead at the bottom of a well Inspector Thanet discounts accidental death. Virginia Mintar was no angel
- her outrageous flirting knew no bounds & made her many enemies. But which one took that final step? Who wanted her dead & gone?

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Four nuns & a fifth woman are killed in a savage night-time attack in Africa. A year later Inspector Kurt Wallander invesigates the disappearance of an elderly birdwatcher & discovers a gruesome & meticulously planned murder
- a body impaled in a trap of sharpened bamboo poles. Then another man is reported missing. Once again Wallander's life is put on hold as he & his team work tirelessly to find a link between the series of vicious murders. Winner of the CWA Gold Dagger for Sidetracked.
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Inspector Kurt Wallander is home from an idyllic holiday in Rome full of energy & plans for the future. Autumn settles in & Wallander prays the winter will be peaceful. But when he investigates the disappearance of an elderly birdwatcher he discovers a gruesome & meticulously planned murder
- a body impaled in a trap of sharpened bamboo poles. Then another man is reported missing. & once again Wallanders life is on hold as he & his team work tirelessly to find a link between the series of vicious murders.
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For more than four years Martin Mc Gartland lived the astonishing double life of a secret agent. To the IRA he was a trusted Intelligence Office & an integral member of an active service unit. To the British Government however he was known only as ' Agent Carol'. Martin Mc Gartland is credited by British Intelligence with saving the lives of at least fifty people. Every time he tipped off the authorities he risjed detection & yet heroically & fearlessly he continued to pass on life-saving information. Finally his cover was blown. Martin was taken from Sinn Fein headquarters in Belfast to an IRA safehouse for questioning & almost certain execution. Though guarded by armed men in a desperate bid for freedom he dived from a third floor window... This breathtaking story is now a major film starring Sir Ben Kingsley & Jim Sturgess. ...

This is a nostalgic guide to fifty of the most famous locomotives of the steam train & early diesel age including the people power & popularity that made them famous. It is packed with thrilling photographs of the locomotives at full steam as well as colour photos taken after their restoration
- many of which are unique to this book. It is complete with details of the engineering works that brought these exciting engines to life & the work of the men that kept them running along with vital statistics for all the locomotives in the book. It is a perfect identification guide for todays trainspotters & railway enthusiasts old or new.
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This beautiful reference work showcases 50 iconic outfits from one of fashions most influential & exciting decades. From the bombshell glamour of Marilyn Monroe in How to Marry a Millionaire to the immergence of teenage style via the sculptural forms of Christian Diors New Look & Balenciagas double A-Line it celebrates all of the important looks that revolutionised modern fashion. With Paula Reeds lively & informative text & a wealth of fabulous photography it is vital reading for design students collectors of vintage & everyone who truly loves fashion. ...