This is a cheerful & entertaining insight into the daily life of a rural police officer. A book to make you laugh
- & cry. Crime
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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.

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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."


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The new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Iris & Ruby. Connie Thorne was a foundling a child left by her mother for strangers to find. Forty years on without ever being able to discover her true identity she has put all her energy into creating a flawless shell for herself. As a child she was musical her sister Jeanette was deaf. One of them was dark the other sunny. Yet they both fell in love with the same man. & her feelings for Bill Jeanettes husband are the one part of herself that Connie can never reshape. When she hears the news that her sister is dying the last thing Connie wants is to leave her Bali home & return to London. But with the bitterness of betrayal still between them Connie & Jeanette have to learn to forgive each other. Surrounded by family can Constance make her peace with who she really is -- & who she loves? ...

The Constance Spry Cookery Book" is one of the best known cookery books of all time. It is one of the kitchen bibles worshipped by millions. Known for its authoritative & comprehensive collection of recipes it has now been brought up to date in a beautiful new metricated edition containing brand new photographs. This essential addition to any kitchen has withstood the test of time & become an invaluable source of information for every enthusiastic cook. Published in 1956 when both Constance Spry & Rosemary Hume were among the greatest names in cookery writing it took three years to produce. Their aim was to offer a supremely practical book with chapters covering kitchen processes soups & sauces through vegetables meat poultry & game to cold dishes & pastry making. In fact everything every cook or aspiring cook would need to know. That the book has been so popular for over half a century is a true testament to how successfully they achieved their aim. " The Constance Spry Cookbook" is now an established classic (and much requested on wedding gift lists) & a timeless treasure which stands the test of time & is perhaps even more needed today when so many people have not been taught to cook by mothers or at school. " Constance Spry" was the subject of a major exhibition at Londons Design Museum in 2004 & a fascinating biography in 2010." ...

Frightening heartbreaking & exquisitely calibrated The Constant Gardener" is a profoundly moving story of a man ennobled by his wifes tragic murder & a magnificent exploration of the dark side of unbridled capitalism. Le Carres record-breaking 500 000 copy international bestseller now comes to the big screen. Directed by critically acclaimed Fernando Meirelles (" City of God") with an all-star cast featuring Ralph Fiennes Rachel Weisz Pete Postlethwaite & Bill Nighy & shot on location in Berlin Kenya & the UK " The Constant Gardener" will be the film tie-in of the year." ...

Despite living by the side of the Thames with its noise disease & dirt eighteen-year-old Rosina May has wanted for little in life. Until her fathers feud with a fellow bargeman threatens to destroy everything. To save them all Rosina agrees to marry Harry the son of a wealthy merchant. But a chance encounter with a handsome river pirate has turned her head & she longs to meet him again. When her father dies a broken man Harry goes back on his promise & turns Rosina out onto the streets. She is forced to work the river herself ferrying rubbish out of London & living rough. In spite of her hardships she cannot forget her pirate & when tragedy threatens to strike once more she is forced to make a choice. But is she really prepared to risk everything for love? ...

Splendid & sumptuous historical novel from the internationally bestselling author Philippa Gregory telling of the early life of Katherine of Aragon. We think of Katherine of Aragon as the barren wife of a notorious king; but behind this legacy lies a fascinating story. Katherine of Aragon is born Catalina the Spanish Infanta to parents who are both rulers & warriors. Aged four she is betrothed to Arthur Prince of Wales & is raised to be Queen of Engl&. She is never in doubt that it is her destiny to rule that far-off wet cold l&. Her faith is tested when her prospective father-in-law greets her arrival in her new country with a great insult; Arthur seems little better than a boy; the food is strange & the customs coarse. Slowly she adapts to the first Tudor court & life as Arthur's wife grows ever more bearable. But when the studious young man dies she is left to make her own future: how can she now be queen & found a dynasty? Only by marrying Arthur's young brother the sunny but spoilt Henry. His father & grandmother are against it; her powerful parents prove little use. Yet Katherine is her mother's daughter & her fighting spirit is strong. She will do anything to achieve her aim; even if it means telling the greatest lie & holding to it. Philippa Gregory proves yet again that behind the apparently familiar face of history lies an astonishing story: of women warriors influencing the future of Europe of revered heroes making deep mistakes & of an untold love story which changes the fate of a nation. ...