Helpless Saran Chandler stands by as her mother & younger sister are sold by the vile Enoch Jacobs & herself narrowly escapes the same fate. When Enoch drowns Saran swears that she will not rest until she has secured her familys release but
- penniless & friendless
- barely knows where to start. Sarans courage & virtue bring their own rewards: when she benefits from an act of kindness she uses the gift to become a nailmaster in Wednesbury a dark & grimy place in thrall to the vicious Zadok Minch whose godfearing exterior masks perverse tastes. Zadok Minch the man who had once bought Sarans mother & sister to satisfy his evil lusts.. .

...

THE HERETICS APPRENTICE: In the summer of 1143 two visitors arrive at the Abbey of Saint Peter & Saint Paul- one dead & two very much alive. But when a violent death ensues Brother Cafael is called once more to turn detective & solve the murder- but matters are complicated still further by the marvellous treasure box in Elaves care...THE POTTERS FIELD: During the ploughing of the Potters Field in October 1143 the grisly remains of a womans body are unearthed. Abandoned by her husband the tenant potter rumour had it that the woman had returned to her homel&- perhaps with a lover. But the discovery of the corpse on Abbey land raises all sorts of questions. THE SUMMER OF THE DANES: In April 1144 Brother Cadfael leaves his monastery once more representing the bishop on a matter of church diplomacy. Cadfael does not forsee trouble on this errand but then becomes entangled in the affairs of Heledd a young woman desperate to escape an arranged marriage & in conflict between Owain Gwynedd & his treacherous brother Cadwaladr... ...

From The Sixth Family according to witness testimony: BROOKLYN MAY 5 1981 We were in the closet. We all had our weapons loaded. We sat there & waited for the doorbell to ring " said Salvatore Vitale a slender New York mobster known as Good-Looking Sal. " We left the door open a smidge to look out." The ringing of the bell at the private social clubs entrance signaled the arrival of the first of the invited guests. Vito Rizzuto crouched low peeking out from his vantage point. Through the swelling crowd & loud chatter from tough men all accustomed to having their say Vito kept his eyes on one man Gerlando Sciascia a fellow Sicilian who was a long-time Rizzuto family friend. Breathing deeply beneath his mask Vito watched for the secret signal that would draw him from the closet a signal that came when Sciascia slowly ran the fingers of his lean right hand through the silver hair on the side of his head. That simple act of preening brought mayhem to the social club & radically changed the balance of power. " Dont anybody move. This is a holdup " Vito said as he confronted the roomful of powerful mobsters his words muffled by a woolen ski mask pulled down over his long thin face. Despite those words this was not about robbery. Nothing would be taken but three lives & the rights to an underworld throne." ...

School life has never been so splendid as in these br&-new editions of the classic Blyton series St Clare's". The O' Sullivan twins are head girls! & two heads are better than one with the new girls they have to sort out... There's two cheeky first formers
- more twins!
- & a sulky new girl in the sixth form Morag. Morag detests St Clare's. She's only happy when she can escape to the local riding stables. The twins are sad it's their last year at St Clare's. Before they leave will they find out what's wrong with Morag?"

...

What should you do if the world has turned against you? When Father Anselm is asked this question by an old man at Larkwood Priory his response to claim sanctuary is to have greater resonance than he could ever have imagined. For that evening the old man returns demanding the protection of the church. His name is Eduard Schwermann & he is wanted by the police as a suspected war criminal. With her life running out Agnes Aubret feels it is time to unburden to her granddaughter Lucy the secrets she has been carrying for so long. Fifty years earlier Agnes had been living in Occupied Paris a member of a small group risking their lives to smuggle Jewish children to safety
- until they were exposed by a young SS Officer: Eduard Schwermann. As Anselm attempts to uncover Schwermanns past & as Lucys search into her grandmothers history continues their investigations dovetail to reveal a remarkable story. Brodrick keeps the story going at a cracking pace flitting back & forth between its various elements characters & eras with timing so expert the reader is compelled to keep turning the pages Time Out
...

After alleged serial killer Edgar Roy is apprehended & locked away in a mental facility private investigators Sean King & Michelle Maxwell are called in by Roy's lawyer
- an old friend of Sean King
- to look into the case. But their investigation is derailed before it begins: while en route to their first meeting with the lawyer King & Maxwell discover his dead body. A rash of terrifying events begins to unfold & it is up to King & Maxwell to uncover the truth: is Roy a killer or not? But the more they dig into his past the more they are bombarded with obstacles half-truths & dead ends that make filtering the facts nearly impossible. As each new theory brings a new revelation King & Maxwell will be pushed to the limit. Could this deadly case be the one that leaves the duo permanently parted?

...

A gripping novel of love passion betrayal & heartbreak. Katherine Parr survived Henry VIII to find true love with Thomas Seymour -- only to realise that her love was based on a lie. Clever sensible & well-liked Katherine Parr trod a knife edge of diplomacy & risk during her marriage to an ageing cantankerous King Henry. When he died she was in her late thirties & love it seemed had passed her by. Until that is the popular Thomas Seymour -- bold handsome witty & irresistible -- began a relentless courtship that won her heart. Kate fell passionately in love for the first time in her life & also for the first time threw caution to the wind with a marriage that shocked the worldly courtiers around her. But all too soon it becomes obvious that Thomas has plans beyond his marriage for the young capricious quick-witted heir to the throne -- Elizabeth -- & that in his quest for power he might even be prepared to betray his now pregnant wife! Kates whirlwind romance is witnessed & recounted by her closest friend Catherine Duchess of Suffolk who lives through the tumultuous years after Henrys death at Kates side. A sharp & canny courtier in her own right Cathy is keenly aware of the political realities of life at court & is apparently a loyal supporter of her friend. As her story weaves its way through that of Kate & Thomass heady passion & tragic denouement however it gradually becomes clear that Cathy has her own tale of betrayal & regret to tell! ...

Katharine Parr has unwittingly become the last pawn in King Henry VIIIs ambitions for an heir. Already twice widowed Katharine finally dared to hope that she might find love with the dashing Thomas Seymour. But Henry has decided he must have a sixth wife & Seymours intentions to marry Katherine have not gone unnoticed. Unable to refuse the King of England Katharine becomes his reluctant bride. Once again it seems only a matter of time before another wifes fate leads her to the Tower of London... ...

Remember Brylcreem? Dusty Springfield? Ford Cortinas? The Twist? Knickerbocker Glories? Radio Luxembourg & Horace Batchelor? Old Spice? George Best? Round the Horne? Winkle Pickers? Ready Steady Go? Sunlight soap? They're all here in this happy-go-lucky tale of some likely lads in the mid '60s. Nick & Steve are just 17 & best mates. They're both Mods & as with most lads of that age they're keen on girls clothes music & football. A meeting with a gang of Rockers is nearly disastrous but takes a surprising twist. Their own band Modern Edge goes on tour to the West Country so obviously there's fun with local lasses & uncompromising landladies not to mention some chaotic gigs. Later they're asked to play Rhodes though none of the group has the faintest idea where Rhodes is. They still have a hilarious time. The book is seen through the eyes of the well-known railway author who lived through & enjoyed the sixties. Anyone who was around in those exciting years will instantly recognise so much of the story. & even if you weren't there you won't be able to suppress the smiles as you enjoy Alan's unaffected racy style. Absolutely unputdownable as the best blurbs say. This will interest anyone who remembers the sixties; areas mentioned in particular include London Essex Suffolk Kent Sussex (especially Brighton) Devon Cornwall Somerset Bristol & the Midlands. ...