For nearly sixty years Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) was one of the most famous writers in the world. An enormously successful playwright & the author of over a hundred short stories & twenty-one novels
- several of which are now established classics
- Maugham expertly concealed a private life. Predominantly homosexual & deeply in love with the charming but dissolute Gerald Haxton he made a disastrous marriage to Syrie Wellcome which he would escape by travelling & writing extensively in the Far East. A talented linguist during both world wars Maugham worked for British Intelligence. In between he moved in literary & theatrical circles in London New York & Hollywood & entertained lavishly at his luxurious villa in the south of France. Outwardly his life was richly rewarding but privately he suffered anguish from an unrequited love affair & a shocking final betrayal. Acclaimed biographer Selina Hastings has had access to Maugham's extensive private correspondence as well as to important family testimony which sheds a fascinating new light on this complex & extraordinary man.

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Aimed at visitors & Londoners alike this fully updated edition of Secret London" unlocks the citys most fascinating secrets
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A half-Inuit albino & heir to a huge Northern Irish manor Light has never exactly blended in. Since her fathers mysterious disappearance in the Arctic shes felt more alone than ever. Yet as she mourns for the father who was her whole family Light starts to notice unexpected presences all around... Suddenly the mysterious world in which her father moved invades young Lights life with a bang. The Inuit folklore she vaguely knows comes alive all around her; the inscrutable violent & sometimes horrific beings of the North seem to believe she has a role to play & along with her tattoed butler & their new shark-headed friend Tupilak Light is drawn into an age-old intrigue between Setna the ruler of the sea & Frost king of the cold. Soon Light is aboard an ice-breaker bound for Nunavut having been promised help in searching for her father now suspected of being stolen away by the cruel & heartless Frost. Yet she scarcely realises the power of those who have chosen her for their enemy
- & a terrifying journey awaits her.
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The Secret Museum is a unique treasure trove of the most intriguing artifacts hidden away in museum archives from all over the world
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New York churns at a relentless pace. It is constantly being rebuilt torn down & rebuilt again to make way for the next era of commerce & culture. But it is truly the sum of its neighborhoods all of which offer a different perspective on the history & attitude of the city each of which is best explored on foot. Secret New York" delves below the surface of this vibrant city into the areas that shape New York with walking tours that consider both the prominent buildings of the skyline & the hidden gems within the grid. Navigating a city on foot is the most tangible way to discover its secrets & as a pedestrian city New York lends itself to exploration more than most. As one of the first major cities of the United States New York offers a glimpse of the country's early history & as its most international city New York combines the best of the world's art food & way of life. This book offers a great introduction to New York & its outer boroughs as well as a deeper look at the areas that fall below the radar of traditional guidebooks. Full-color photographs capture the treasures tucked behind every corner while clear easy-to-follow route maps highlight places of special interest. For travellers who want to gain familiarity with the city's more peculiar hidden life this book offers a rare perspective of a remarkable place." ...

Morse sought to hide his disappointment. So many people in the Haworth Hotel that fateful evening had been wearing some sort of disguise -- a change of dress a change of make-up a change of partner a change of attitude a change of life almost; & the man who had died had been the most consummate artist of them all.. . Chief Inspector Morse seldom allowed himself to be caught up in New Year celebrations. So the murder inquiry in the festive hotel had a certain appeal. It was a crime worthy of the season. The corpse was still in fancy dress. & hardly a single guest at the Haworth had registered under a genuine name.. . ...

The combined forces of Scotland Yard & the French Surete can do no better than go in circles
- until the final murder at Chimneys
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The Caleighs have had a terrible year.. . They need time & space while they await the news they dread. Gabe has brought his wife Eve & daughters Loren & Cally down to Devon to the peaceful seaside village of Hollow Bay. He can work & Eve & the kids can have some peace & quiet & perhaps they can try as a family to come to terms with what's happened to them.. . Crickley Hall is an unusually large house on the outskirts of the village at the bottom of Devil's Cleave a massive tree-lined gorge
- the stuff of local legend. A river flows past the front garden. It's perfect for them.. .if a bit gloomy. & Chester their dog seems really spooked at being away from home. & old houses do make sounds. & it's constantly cold. & even though they shut the cellar door every night it's always open again in morning.. .
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The Caleighs have had a terrible year... They need time & space while they await the news they dread. Gabe has brought his wife Eve & daughters Loren & Cally down to Devon to the peaceful seaside village of Hollow Bay. He can work & Eve & the kids can have some peace & quiet & perhaps they can try as a family to come to terms with whats happened to them... Crickley Hall is an unusually large house on the outskirts of the village at the bottom of Devils Cleave a massive tree-lined gorge
- the stuff of local legend. A river flows past the front garden. Its perfect for them...if a bit gloomy. & Chester their dog seems really spooked at being away from home. & old houses do make sounds. & its constantly cold. & even though they shut the cellar door every night its always open again in morning... The Secret of Crickley Hall is James Herberts finest novel to date. It explores the darker more obtuse territories of evil & the supernatural. With brooding menace & rising tension he masterfully & relentlessly draws the reader through to the ultimate revelation -- one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside.
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The third thrilling adventure thriller featuring archaeologist Nina Wilde in which Nina must find Excalibur King Arthur's beloved sword. Said to make whoever holds it unstoppable in battle the sword Excalibur has been coveted across the ages & thought lost for over a thousand years. With a cryptic message to archaeologist Nina Wilde this may be about to change. Historian Bernd Rust believes he can locate Excalibur...and that the sword is the key to harnessing an incredible source of energy. Nina is sceptical
- until she & Rust are attacked by mercenaries determined to steal his research. Nina & her boyfriend ex-SAS soldier Eddie Chase are soon propelled into a deadly race to find Excalibur. From the deserts of Syria to the arctic wastes of Russia Nina & Chase must battle a merciless enemy who plans to use the sword's powers to plunge the world into a new era of war...
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