The Dark Age of Britain from the middle of the 4th century to the end of the 8th was a time of violence & warfare when charismatic warlords such as the fabled King Arthur could gather together armies & carve out their own kingdoms. With this new set of wargames rules players can take on the role of these warlords & command their own armies on the tabletop. Written by the author of the popular Glutter of Ravens rules set Dux Bellorum" is an element-based system where each base of figures represents 50 fighting men. Each player has a specific number of points with which to construct his force & can choose a Late Roman Romano-British Welsh Saxon Pictish Irish or Sea Raider army amongst others. The game is then played out following a set of simple fast-paced rules. A completely self-contained gaming system " Dux Bellorum" is perfect for gamers who are looking for a way into fighting Dark Age battles without investing a lot of time or money in larger rulesets." ...

For countless millennia no man or beast has ever succeeded in breaching the stone gateway into Girdlegard. Until now.. . Abandoned as a child Tungdil the blacksmith is the only dwarf in a kingdom of men. But when he is sent out into the world to deliver a message & reacquaint himself with his people the young foundling finds himself thrust into a battle for which he has not been trained. Not only his own safety but the life of every man woman & child in Girdlegard depends upon his ability to embrace his heritage. Although he has many unanswered questions Tungdil is certain of one thing: no matter where he was raised he is a true dwarf. & no one has ever questioned the courage of the Dwarves. ...

The Dwarves of Death" is a hilarious black comedy by Jonathan Coe. William has a lot on his mind. Firstly theres The Alaska Factory the band he plays in. Theyre no good & they make his songs sound about as groovy as an unimpressed record. In fact theyre so bad hes seriously thinking of leaving to join a group called The Unfortunates. Secondly theres Madeline his high-maintenance girlfriend whose idea of a night of passion is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical followed by a doorstep peck on the cheek. Maybe theyre not soulmates after all? Lastly theres the bizarre murder hes just witnessed. The guiding force behind The Unfortunates lies bludgeoned to death at his feet & unfortunately for William there arent too many other suspects standing nearby..." Its about being young poor confused & in love. Its also very funny.. .sharp lucid & witty". (" Guardian"). " Notable for its fresh contemporary flavour & its bristling intellectual energy. Coe has huge powers of observation & enormous literary panache". (" Sunday Times"). Jonathan Coes novels are filled with biting political satire moving & astute observations of life & hilarious set pieces that have made him one of the most popular writers of his generation. His other titles " The Accidental Woman" " The Closed Circle" " The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim" " The House of Sleep" (winner of the 1998 Prix Medicis Etranger) "A Touch of Love" & " The Rain Before it Falls" are all available in Penguin paperback." ...

When fifteen-year-old Cissie Brodie loses her parents to cholera she is forced out of the family cottage & left to raise her nine siblings alone. Although desperately poor the strong-willed Cissie determines to build a new home for the Brodies. It is only a rough stone shelter but to Cissie & her family it is enough to keep them from the workhouse. They have friends but charity cannot always spare them the harsh reality of their struggle & the bitterness of those who wish them harm. But can love when it arrives teach Cissie not to fear the world beyond the dwelling place? Set in the 1830's The Dwelling Place" is the powerful tale of a tenacious family's battle to overcome the odds." ...

This books strengths are [ Brenda Mallons] clinical wisdom experience & insights & the practical constructive down-to-earth way in which she conveys these to her readers. This will appeal to many who are searching for guidance in the difficult task of providing support for the bereaved
- Bereavement Care" Spring 2010. This is a well written book that makes a very useful addition to the field
- " Therapy Today" February 2009. A refreshing down-to-earth text that examines theory & research without becoming an academic tome. It is comprehensive focused on practice & contains important insights for developing the essential skills required to provide effective bereavement care
- Dr John Costello Head of Primary Care University of Manchester. Brenda Mallon gives the term grief counselling definition in a way no one has done before. If you are new to counselling the bereaved this book is the best introduction I have seen. If you are an experienced grief counsellor this should be the next book you read
- Professor Dennis Klass Webster University. " Dying Death & Grief" is written for anyone who provides support to adults following bereavement. Whether in a professional or voluntary capacity bereavement care requires empathy judgement & skill to ensure your response matches the needs of the person you are helping. Recognizing that we all experience bereavement differently this book introduces theory & skills which can be used in any context to address a wide range of needs. The author explains the theoretical background to attachment & loss & the core skills needed to support people who have been bereaved. Case studies & personal accounts illustrate key points & exercises help you examine your own experiences & attitudes in relation to loss. The book also takes into account topics frequently overlooked in other texts such as sexuality spiritual responses to loss cultural influences & diversity as well as the nature of chronic & disenfranchised grief. " Dying Death & Grief" is designed for use on a wide range of training & academic courses that prepare practitioners to work with the bereaved. Professionals in a range of settings including hospitals & in the community as well as volunteers & be-frienders in hospices & nursing homes will find this a useful source of guidance. Brenda Mallon is a counsellor trainer & author who specialises in bereavement care. She is vice chair of The Grief Centre Manchester Area Bereavement Forum."



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Ruth Galloway forensic archaeologist spends her life looking at death. But now death has found her with the news that her long-time friend Dan Golding has been killed. Ruth's grief soon turns to suspicion when she receives a desperate letter from Dan sent the day before he died. He had made a ground-breaking discovery
- & was petrified of the consequences. Ruth is compelled to travel north to investigate further alongside DCI Harry Nelson who is also drawn into the case. But where Ruth goes so does her daughter Kate. This time the risks are even higher.
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A cluster of suicides among the elderly. Such things are not unknown to the police & the deaths are quickly dismissed by the police as routine. Only one man is convinced that something more sinister is taking place. However no one listens to Tom Thorne anymore. Having stepped out of line once too often he's back in uniform & he hates it. Patronised & abused by his new colleagues Thorne's suspicions about the suicides are dismissed by the Murder Squad he was once part of & he is forced to investigate alone. Unable to trust anyone Thorne must risk losing those closest to him. He must gamble with the lives of those targeted by a killer unlike any he has hunted before. A man with nothing to lose & a growing list of victims. A man with the power to make people take their own lives. Tom Thorne returns in Billingham's most compelling thriller to date. The Dying Hours is a haunting portrait of London's dark heart & the darker heart of a twisted killer bringing terror to its streets. ...

Take one quiet Yorkshire Village add a measure of mystery a sprinkling of scandal & Kate Shackleton
- amateur sleuth extraordinaire!
...

The Number One bestselling detective series from the award-winning Stuart Mac Bride continues in this second crime thriller. It's summertime in Scotland: the sun is shining the sky is blue & people are dying... She's just the first. How many more will die? It starts with Rosie Williams a prostitute stripped naked & beaten to death down by the docks
- the heart of Aberdeen's red light district. For DS Logan Mc Rae it's a bad start to another bad day. Rosie won't be the only one making an unscheduled trip to the morgue. Across the city six people are burning to death in a petrol-soaked squat the doors & windows screwed shut from the outside. & despite Logan's best efforts it's not long before another prostitute turns up on the slab... An unputdownable serial killer tale packed with mystery & suspense as well as Stuart Mac Bride's distinctive grittiness & dark humour.
...

In 1972 a gold bullion convoy is hijacked in Marseilles. The security trucks & hijackers are swiftly rounded up but a ton of gold has disappeared. More than twenty years later Daniel Jac receives an unexpected gift from an old fisherman. At the same time a Marseilles lawyer called Claude Dupont receives an equally unexpected gift from a dying gangland boss. Both gifts point the way to the missing gold & pit Jac & Dupont against the Polineaux & Duclos familles two of the oldest & most feared crime syndicates on the Cote d Azur. When the Marseilles police become involved following a series of gruesome murders the investigation is headed by Chief Inspector Isabelle Cassier. An old friend & sometime lover of Jacquots Isabelle discovers that the years havent lessened her longing for the maverick Marseilles cop & that her feelings for him are far from professional. Together they embark on a cut-throat hunt for the gold with hit-men from the Polineaux & Duclos clans hot on their heels. But after nearly thirty years is the gold still there? & if it is who will get to it first? ...