Some say the aristocratic Balfour clan is cursed a once-great family now in slow decline. Graceful Lily Balfour is her family's last hope & she has come to London with one ambition
- to marry a rich man. Her plans are placed in jeopardy however by the irresistible Major Derek Knight a handsome highborn soldier & adventurer newly returned from India. Hardened by battles on India's lawless frontiers Derek is not just a fighter but a notorious rake infamous for his many dalliances. Though Derek finds no shortage of willing women in London it is the untouchable aloof Lily who haunts him. After one stolen moment he hungers for more. But Derek has come to England on a vital mission & when Lily is pledged to a wealthy man suspected of corruption Derek must thwart the treachery that is in danger of ensnaring them both...
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It was the year that saw Rangers Football Club face administration that saw Greece struggle with teetering debt that saw Scots wrestle with the idea of a referendum on independence & saw the Scottish football team once again watching an international competition from the outside. & what did most Scots do? Well what they usually do
- they laughed about it. Fortunately they then sent their musings to The Herald" newspapers " Diary" column where their views on world affairs plus all the stories of all the daft & amusing things that happened in Scotlands pubs trains streets & homes were gathered polished & printed. This is the compilation of the best of these stories. It is where the best of Scottish humour is gathered & kept so that the stories are not lost forever & if you are a Scot anywhere in the world you will recognise the humour in them. & even if you are not Scottish you should still be able to smile even though you have to ask a Scot for the occasional piece of clarification."
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This is a stunning collection of photographs
- many never before published
- celebrating the remarkable talent of Herb

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Herbs are the most liberating & confidence-boosting of ingredients: grow some & you feel like a proper gardener bring some into the kitchen & you feel like a proper cook. They allow you to experiment & bring individuality to your cooking while at the same time anchoring you in sound culinary tradition because herbs are often responsible for those key flavours that 'make' a dish. Not only that but they are a step on the road to a more self-sufficient homegrown organic way of eating. In the first part of the book Nikki explains how to get the most from herbs. She outlines the basic choosing picking & using guidelines. The second part is a catalogue of herbs each with grow-your-own notes flavour descriptions & mini-recipes. Among the forty herbs that Nikki describes are basil bay bergamot chives coriander dill fennel horseradish hyssop marigold marjoram mint parsley perilla rocket rosemary sage scented geranium tarragon thyme wild garlic & winter savory. Following this are over fifty wonderful & adaptable recipes for everything from herb-scented cakes & biscuits to soups stuffings & tarts where more than one herb is or can be used. With an introduction by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall & full-colour photographs Herbs is a must-have book for every kitchen. ...

For millennia man has been using herbs; in food for healing & for magical purposes. Only in the last hundred years have the magical & medicinal properties of herbs been separated by scientists & the magical community. This book reunites the two into a comprehensive reference. Drawing on her years of practice & research Deborah Martin has compiled information on over three hundred herbs. Avoiding the confusion of common names which can vary by region she uses the Latin binomial or scientific names for all the plants but gives the reader a cheat sheet for easy reference. Written with a touch of humor she details the difference between synthetic drugs & herbal alternatives. Lists make looking up an herb for a simple ailment or magical spell effortless. Also given are instructions for different types of herbal preparations & their medicinal & magical uses. ...

In ad 79 the volcano Vesuvius erupted burying the cities of Pompeii & Herculaneum under ash & rock & leaving them remarkably well preserved for centuries. While Pompeii has been extensively written about & popularized the remains of its sister city a smaller yet wealthier community close to the sea are less widely known but they have yielded spectacular archaeological evidence. This is the first major study of Herculaneum since that of Joseph Jay Deiss published in 1966 & last revised in 1993. & in any language there have only ever been a handful of books available mostly guidebooks & exhibition catalogues. Herculaneum is based on the latest excavation work & incorporates much new material that has revolutionized our understanding of the site. The book draws on a decade's work with the Herculaneum Conservation Project which thanks to the Packard Humanities Institute has begun to reverse the neglect of previous years which had reduced this extraordinary site to a critical condition. Illustrated with more than 300 newly taken colour photographs & archive illustrations plus eight spectacular 360-degree panoramas it is the definitive overview for the general public of what we know & understand about Herculaneum of what is still unknown & mysterious & of the potential for future discoveries in both archaeological & political contexts. ...

All 51 Hercule Poirot short stories presented in chonological order in a single volume
- plus a bonus story not seen for more than
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A facsimile first edition hardback of the wartime Poirot book published to mark the 80th anniversary of his first appearance & commemorate the tradition of a Christie for Christmas. It is Christmas Eve. The Lee family reunion is shattered by a deafening crash of furniture followed by a high-pitched wailing scream. Upstairs the tyrannical Simeon Lee lies dead in a pool of blood his throat slashed. But when Hercule Poirot who is staying in the village with a friend for Christmas offers to assist he finds an atmosphere not of mourning but of mutual suspicion. It seems everyone had their own reason to hate the old man! To mark the 80th anniversary of Hercule Poirots first appearance & to celebrate his renewed fortunes as a primetime television star this title in a collection of facsimile first editions is the perfect way to experience Agatha Christie. Reproducing the original typesetting & format of the first edition from the Christie familys own archive this book sports the original cover which has been painstakingly restored to its original glory. ...

This is a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring Peter Sallis as the great Belgian detective. Tyrannical millionaire Simeon Lee has been estranged from most of his family for years. But now on Christmas Eve the old man calls them all together once more. Unable to disobey the children gather uneasily & wonder what their fathers intentions are. Does he want to clear up past misunderstandings or cause fresh mischief? Before they can find out a deafening crash is heard overhead. Rushing upstairs they discover a shocking sight: Simeon Lee is lying in a pool of blood his throat cut. But it is the strangest thing
- the door has been locked from the inside & there is no trace of the murderer. With so many possible suspects it is lucky for Superintendent Sugden that the Chief Constable has his old friend Hercule Poirot staying with him. It seems to be an impossible case. But as Poirot knows only too well things arent always as they seem.
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Agatha Christie's seasonal mystery thriller reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans & book lovers. It is Christmas Eve. The Lee family reunion is shattered by a deafening crash of furniture followed by a high-pitched wailing scream. Upstairs the tyrannical Simeon Lee lies dead in a pool of blood his throat slashed. But when Hercule Poirot who is staying in the village with a friend for Christmas offers to assist he finds an atmosphere not of mourning but of mutual suspicion. It seems everyone had their own reason to hate the old man... ...