It's been eight years since Geniver Loxley lost her daughter Beth. Since that day Gen has been floundering. While her husband Art builds his business reputation & their fortune she can't let go of Beth. & then one day everything changes. A strange woman shows up on Gen's doorstep saying the very thing she longs to hear: that Beth is alive. That she is out there somewhere waiting for Gen to find her.. . It's insane. Unthinkable. But why would someone make up such a story? Ignoring the warnings of her husband & friends Gen begins to hope
- hope that quickly turns into fear & paranoia. With questions swirling around her head Gen is determined to uncover the truth. But who can she trust? Why is Art so reluctant to get involved? To save his wife from further hurt? Or something much more sinister? Is Beth even really out there? & if so who is responsible for taking her? What is the truth about Beth Loxley?

Close My Eyes is part of the Richard & Judy Summer 2013 Book Club. Find out how you can get involved with Britain's biggest & best book club. Visit the brand new Book Club website Â- ...

Margot Macfayden nee Phelps spends the months following her husbands death visiting friends in Greshambury Southbridge & Harefield as she ponders relocating while hoping to avoid again being pre-empted by her aged parents (who to be fair share her feelings). At Harefield we become reacquainted with the Beltons; Mr Belton previously an inconspicuous figure comes into his own as he delivers masterful performances ranging from Old English Squire to King Lear meriting the admiration & amusement of his friends & relatives. We also are fortunate to make the acquaintance of Admiral Prsvb of the Mixo-Lydian Navy which consists of one very out-of-date English gunboat on a lake as he comes to dinner at the Fairweathers with our old friend Gradka the Ambassadress (formerly the Feelings cook). Fortunately in the commonsense view of almost everyone Admiral Phelps & Mrs Phelps follow each other in rapid succession to peaceful & timely ends freeing Margot to accept the long-delayed marriage proposal of Canon (Tubby) Fewling. ...

International football meets the world of espionage & counter-terrorism in a nail-biting action thriller! Jake Bastin is in Milan for an international football tournament. His dad will be the TV commentator
- but Jake knows this is a front. He is sure his dads there on MI6 business. If only Jake could get close to the action... Instead he is stuck at a frenzied photo shoot for a priceless South African diamond. In all the chaos a massive diamond heist takes place. Brutal assassinations quickly follow in retaliation. & Jake finds himself playing centre forward in another high-profile scandal. But this time its personal. Hale combines his passion for football James Bond & writing in Striker". He lives in London with his dog Pele & continues to play & watch football nearly every weekend."
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Close Reading 11-14 provides a wide selection of of extracts from novels old & (especially) new with accompanying interpretation/ comprehension-type questions. In addition the ' Taking A Closer Look' section in each chapter focuses on a specific language feature from the passage & provides further explanations & practice exercises on that aspect of language. The book has specific links with Knowledge About Language (by the same authors) but can also be used independently of that title either as a st&-alone classroom textbook or a resource for individual pupils needing interpretation practice. ...

Ravishingly photographed romantic beyond reason this book devoted to the most celebrated gardens of southern Italy captures the inexhaustible lure of one of the most beautiful places on earth: Campania the sun-kissed region that is home to Naples Capri & the Amalfi Coast. Erstwhile pleasure dome to the Roman emperors & still Italy's most glamorous seaside getaway this province has been a top destination for garden appassionati for decades. Bewitched by the natural splendours of the region author & photographer Robert I.C. Fisher has created a 200-page celebration of twenty-four of southern Italy's finest gardens. In Ravello the rampageous roses of Villa Cimbrone once warmed the famously chilly heart of Greta Garbo while off the coast of Positano the private Li Galli islands were the last home of Rudolf Nureyev. In Sorrento Lord Astor's garden is a monument to English exoticism & on Capri Graham Greene discovered his legendary retreat. Understanding that the potent allure of gardens is not only about plants & species Fisher also tells the stories of some of the fascinating people who dedicated their lives to creating & nurturing these treasures. The gardens' special magic is captured in lush mouth-watering photographs whether it be of turn-of-the-century Sorrento picture-perfect Positano medieval Amalfi or isl&-in-the-sky Ravello. Prepare for enchantment as through these bougainvillea-bright pages you visit the garden Shangri-La that is Campania. ...

Pete Goss became a national & international hero when he rescued French yachtsman Raphael Dinelli as his boat sank beneath him in the round-the-world single-handed sailing race the Vendee Globe on Christmas Day 1996. In doing so Pete scuppered his own chances in the race but was awarded the Legion d Honneur by Frances president & made a friend for life in Dinelli. Close to the Wind is his own story of the race & its dramas his revolutionary boat Aqua Quorum his thoughts & emotions during four months of solitude at sea the extraordinary surgery that he had to perform on his own elbow & the aftermath of the rescue in the Southern Ocean. ...

Deightons incendiary novel of the film industry back in print after 20 years. A Hollywood Babylon for our time. Marshall Stone international superstar & charismatic member of Hollywoods elite. Abundantly blessed with charm genius & wealth the one gift he most desires
- everlasting youth
- seems within his grasp when an eminent writer begins the stars biography. But painful memories & suppressed scandals threaten to expose the fiction of his life. Dazzled by flattery & numbed by threats the biographer is caught up in the big-daddy world where books are properties films are investments ratings are rigged & stars & directors are bought & sold like slaves at an auction. The rituals the wheeler-dealing politics & back-stabbing tactics of the richest industry in the world have never been more effectively portrayed. & at the heart of this glittering machine a brilliant star who will do almost anything to remain untarnished. This new reissue

Includes:: a foreword from the cover designer Oscar-winning filmmaker Arnold Schwartzman & a brand new introduction by Len Deighton which offers a fascinating insight into the writing of the story.



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In this exhaustive guide to macro photography respected author & photographer Adrian Davies takes a comprehensive approach to the subject covering every aspect of the multi-faceted & often complicated world of close-up photography. Everything about Adrians approach is both practical & diverse with optimal output always in mind. His coverage of equipment for example goes beyond cameras to cover the application of flatbed & film scanners for close-up shots (2D 3D reflective & translucent subjects). Seperate sections cover cameras & equipment lenses lighting workflow & image processing. in addition a seperate section on special subjects covers techniques for shooting both common macro subjects (including insects fossils & coins) as well as a range of technical elements such as shiny surfaces texture & polarised light. The appendix

Includes:: a technical discussion on depth of field including detailed tables & a range of optical formulae. Clear concise & comprehensive & packed with stunning images this is a must-have purchase for all photographers looking for professional quality macro results.

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Its 1931. The new luxurious transatlantic liner Empress of Britain is on her eastward passage. Among the first-class passengers ...

This is a powerful tale of love the loss of innocence & the importance of family in difficult times by the acclaimed author of The Death of Bees winner of the Commonwealth Book Prize 2013. ' There are no strangers in Rothesay Michael. Everyone knows who you are & always will. It's a blessing but it's also a curse.' Eleven-year-old Michael Murray is the best at two things: keepy-uppies & keeping secrets. His family think he's too young to hear grown-up stuff but he listens at doors; it's the only way to find out anything. & Michael's heard a secret one that might explain the bruises on his mother's face. When the whispers at home & on the street become too loud to ignore Michael begins to wonder if there is an even bigger secret he doesn't know about. Scared of what might happen if anyone finds out & desperate for life to return to normal Michael sets out to piece together the truth. But he also has to prepare for the upcoming talent show keep an eye out for Dirty Alice his arch-nemesis from down the street & avoid eating Granny's watery stew. Closed Doors is the startling new novel from the acclaimed author of The Death of Bees. It is a vivid evocation of the fears & freedoms of childhood in the 1980s & a powerful tale of love the loss of innocence & the importance of family in difficult times. ...