Dickenss final novel left unfinished at his death is a tale of mystery whose fast-paced action takes place in an ancient cathedral city & in some of the darkest places in nineteenth century London. Drugs sexual obsession colonial adventuring & puzzles about identity are among the novels themes. At the centre of the plot lie the baffling disappearance of Edwin Drood & the many explanations of his whereabouts. A sombre & menacing atmosphere a fascinating range of characters & Dickenss usual superb command of language combine to make this an exciting & tantalising story. Also included in this volume are a number of unjustly neglected stories & sketches with subjects as different as murder & guilt & childhood romance. This unusual selection illustrates Dickenss immense creativity & versatility. ...

In the wakeful misery of the night girded by sordid realities or wandering through Paradises & Hells of visions...I loved you madly. Dickens last novel is a mystery built around a presumed crime
- the murder of a nephew by his uncle. Dickens died before completing the story leaving the mystery unsolved & encouraging successive generations of readers to turn detective. Beyond the preoccupying fact of this intriguing crime however the novel also offers readers a characteristically Dickensian mix of the fantastical world of the imagination & a vibrantly journalistic depiction of gritty reality. The Penguin English Library"
- 100 editions of the best fiction in English from the eighteenth century & the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War."

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Charles Dickenss final unfinished novel & one that has puzzled readers & inspired writers since its publication The Mystery of Edwin Drood" is edited with an introduction by David Paroissien in " Penguin Classics". Edwin Drood is contracted to marry orphan Rosa Bud when he comes of age but when they find that duty has gradually replaced affection they agree to break off the engagement. Shortly afterwards in the middle of a storm on Christmas Eve Edwin disappears leaving nothing behind but some personal belongings & the suspicion that his jealous uncle John Jasper madly in love with Rosa is the killer. & beyond this presumed crime there are further intrigues: the dark opium dens of the sleepy cathedral town of Cloisterham & the sinister double life of Choirmaster Jasper whose drug-fuelled fantasy life belies his respectable appearance. Dickens died before completing " The Mystery of Edwin Drood" leaving its tantalising mystery unsolved & encouraging successive generations of readers to turn detective. This edition contains an introduction by David Paroissien discussing the novels ending with a chronology notes original illustrations by Samuel Luke Fildes appendices on opium use in the nineteenth century the " Sapsea Fragment" & Dickenss plans for the storys conclusion. Charles Dickens is one of the best-loved novelists in the English language whose 200th anniversary was celebrated in 2012. His most famous books including " Oliver Twist" " Great Expectations" "A Tale of Two Cities" " David Copperfield" & " The Pickwick Papers" have been adapted for stage & screen & read by millions. If you enjoyed " The Mystery of Edwin Drood" you might like Dickens " Little Dorrit" also available in " Penguin Classics"." ...

Radu Cinamar stunned the world when he released his first book Transylvanian Sunrise" which described the greatest archaeological find of all time: a hidden chamber some 50 000 years old with beneath the Romanian Sphinx in the Bucegi Mountains. This chamber

Includes:: holographic technology with a visual data bank of infinite DNA permutations in addition to three tunnels: one leading to the inner earth one to Tibet & one to Egypt. After being allowed to explore some of these artefacts Radu was befriended by an enigmatic alchemist named Elinor who introduced him to an equally mysterious Tibetan Lama. This book begins with Radu becoming the guardian of Elinors exotic villa in Bucharest which contains a remarkable alchemical laboratory in the basement. Radu is soon thereafter recruited for Department Zero Romanias most secret intelligence unit by his old friend Cezar Brad & becomes part of an expedition to explore a mysterious tunnel which leads from the chamber beneath the Romanian Sphinx to a different type of chamber beneath the Giza Plateau which contains ancient artefacts that look more futuristic than they do ancient one of them being a bioresonant device through which one can visit past & future events. This amazing expedition

Includes:: an American from the Pentagon with a top secret laptop computer he is intuitively connected to that not only displays intricate holograms but is also linked to Hilbert (inter-dimensional) Space. Ancient archeology meets future science in this true life adventure that penetrates the secrets of Egypt in a way that has not been previously conceived of in our society."



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Who stole the money that the old man in Holly Lane had so carefully hidden in his cottage & where is it now? Why did his furniture disappear in the middle of the night? Fatty & the Find-Outers are on the case but it looks as though Mr Goon might solve the mystery first. Brilliantly Fatty realises the money is sewn into the curtains of the house hidden by the old man's daughter from her greedy brother. The mystery is solved the money found & the greedy brother brought to justice. ...

Marian Keyes the No. 1 bestselling author of Rachels Holiday" is back with her stunning new novel " The Mystery of ...

Marian Keyes the No. 1 bestselling author of Rachel's Holiday is back with her stunning new novel The Mystery of Mercy Close ...

Antony Beevors The Mystery of Olga Chekhova" is the true story of a family torn apart by revolution & war. Olga Chekhova was a stunning Russian beauty & a famous Nazi-era film actress who Hitler counted among his friends; she was also the niece of Anton Chekhov. After fleeing Bolshevik Moscow for Berlin in 1920 she was recruited by her composer brother Lev to work for Soviet intelligence. In return her family were allowed to join her. The extraordinary story of how the whole family survived the Russian Revolution the civil war the rise of Hitler the Stalinist Terror & the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union becomes in Antony Beevors hands a breathtaking tale of compromise & survival in a merciless age. "A fascinating spy story a delicious entertainment a compelling investigation". (" Evening Standard"). " An extraordinary drama of exile & espionage". (" Independent"). " Compelling.. .as engaging a read as Stalingrad & Berlin". (" Guardian"). Antony Beevor is the renowned author of Stalingrad which won the Samuel Johnson Prize the Wolfson Prize for History & the Hawthornden Prize for Literature & Berlin which received the first Longman-History Today Trustees Award. His books have sold nearly four million copies." ...

Fatty & the Find-Outers are plunged into an exciting mystery. Who stole the valuable picture from the art gallery? What connects the glamorous Lorenzos with the old Larkins? How does a poodle called Poppet fit into the puzzle? When the truth comes out Fatty works once more with Inspector Jenks & solves a mystery that had baffled the nation's police. ...

A facsimile first edition hardback of the Poirot book featuring the favourite Christie mix of trains & international travel. When the luxurious Blue Train arrives at Nice a guard attempts to wake serene Ruth Kettering from her slumbers. But she will never wake again -- for a heavy blow has killed her disfiguring her features almost beyond recognition. What is more her precious rubies are missing. The prime suspect is Ruths estranged husband Derek. Yet Poirot is not convinced so he stages an eerie re-enactment of the journey complete with the murderer on board! 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. ...