HarperCollins Publishers

Doris Lessing, 2002

First published by Michael Joseph in 1984, under a pseudonym, as ‘The Diary of a Good Neighbour’ and ‘If the Old Could…’, now published as ‘The Diaries of Jane Somers’, this is in many ways classic Lessing. As resonant with social and political themes as ‘The Golden Notebook’, Lessing returns to the realism of her early fiction with the wisdom and experience of maturity. The diaries introduce us to Jane, an intelligent and beautiful magazine editor concerned with success, clothes and comfort. But her real inadequacy is highlighted when first her husband, then her mother, die from cancer and Jane feels strangely removed. In an attempt to fill this void, she befriends ninety-something Maudie, whose poverty and squalor contrast so radically with the glamour and luxury of the magazine world. The two gradually come to depend on each other – Maudie delighting Jane with tales of London in the 1920s and Jane trying to care for the rapidly deteriorating old woman. ‘The Diary of Jane Somers’ contrasts the helplessness of the elderly with that of the young as Jane is forced to care for her nineteen-year-old drop-out niece Kate who is struggling with an emotional breakdown. Jane realises that she understands young people as little as she so recently did the old. Подробнее

Towards Zero

Agatha Christie, 2002

An elderly widow is murdered at a clifftop seaside house… What is the connection between a failed suicide attempt, a wrongful accusation of theft against a schoolgirl, and the romantic life of a famous tennis player? To the casual observer, apparently nothing. But when a houseparty gathers at Gull’s Point, the seaside home of an elderly widow, earlier events come to a dramatic head. It’s all part of a carefully paid plan – for murder… Подробнее

To Room Nineteen (Collected Stories)

Doris Lessing, 2002

From the Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature 2007, a collection of some of her finest short stories. For more than four decades, Doris Lessing’s work has observed the passion and confusion of human relations, holding a mirror up to our selves in her unflinching dissection of the everyday. From the magnificent ‘To Room Nineteen’, a study of a dry, controlled middle-class marriage ‘grounded in intelligence’, to the shocking ‘A Woman on the Roof’, where a workman becomes obsessed with a pretty sunbather, this superb collection of stories written over four decades, from the 1950s to the 1990s bears stunning witness to Doris Lessing’s perspective on the human condition. Подробнее

The Journey

Josephine Cox, 2005

The new bestseller from the country’s number one storyteller is a deeply moving and powerful tale of love and courage and a sacrifice no man should be asked to make. Three strangers are thrown together by chance. It’s an encounter which is destined to change all of their lives for ever. When Ben Morris comes to the aid of Lucy Baker and her daughter Mary, he is intrigued by the story behind their frequent visits to the local graveyard. Later, invited into their home, an old Edwardian place suffused with secrets of the past, Ben hears Lucy’s remarkable tale – one she must tell before it’s too late. The story of Barney Davidson, his family and the part Lucy played in his extraordinary life, is one of a deep, abiding love and an incredible sacrifice, spellbinding in its tragedy and passion. And it still exerts a powerful influence in the present day … The Journey is Josephine Cox at her mesmerising best. Spanning decades, generations and continents, it will stay with you for ever. Подробнее

City of the Beasts

Isabel Allende, 2003

An ecological romance with a pulsing heart, equal parts Rider Haggard and Chico Buarque – one of the world’s greatest and most beloved storytellers broadens her style and reach with a Amazonian adventure story that will appeal to all ages. Fifteen-year-old Alexander Cold has the chance to take the trip of a lifetime. With his mother in hospital, too ill to look after him, Alex is sent out to his grandmother Kate – a fearless reporter with blue eyes ‘as sharp as daggers’ points’. Kate is about to embark on an expedition to the dangerous, remote world of the Amazon rainforest, but rather than change her plans, she simply takes Alex along with her. They set off with their team – including a local guide and his daughter Nadia, with her wild, curly hair and skin the colour of honey – in search of a fabled headhunting tribe and a legendary, marauding creature known to locals as the ‘Beast’, only to find out much, much more about the mysteries of the jungle and its inhabitants. In a novel rich in adventure, magic and spirit, internationally celebrated novelist Isabel Allende takes readers of all ages on a voyage of discovery and wonder, deep into the heart of the Amazon Подробнее

The Merlin Conspiracy

Diana Wynne Jones, 2004

A glorious new fantasy from an award-winning author. The story is narrated by two very different teenagers, who each inhabit two extraordinarily different worlds. Arianrhod Hyde's world (or Roddy, as she prefers to be called) is very much the world of magic, pageantry and ritual. Not unlike Britain in King Arthur's Day, Roddy is daughter of two Court Wizards and therefore part of the King's Progress, travelling round the Islands of Blest and ready to take part in whatever ritual or ceremony is required, as it occurs. Presiding over all, the most important person is the Merlin, who is entrusted with the magical health of the Isles of Blest. Nick Mallory's world is much more familiar – at least, it starts off being our own. But it soon transpires that Nick's not quite the ordinary 15 year old he seems, as he slips sideways into something he thinks is a dream – but in fact is another world entirely. Now, Nick's been on other worlds before (although never alone) but he's a confident type. Maybe a bit too confident… In Roddy's world, the current Merlin expires and a new one takes his place. Yet something is wrong – the rituals have been upset and nothing is going the way it should. Roddy needs help, and certain powers indicate that Nick is to be the one to help her. And Nick is cool about helping her – in theory… but it's a bit worrying that she seems to mistake him for a magic-user. Their stories unfold, side-by-side, each part leading into the next, and the Merlin Conspiracy thickens as the tales swirl around each other – twining, meeting and affecting each other, yet never completely combining until the very end chapters when all is finally revealed. Compelling, howlingly funny in places, mind-boggling – this is going to WOW DWJ fans all around the world (and probably in other universes too). Подробнее

The Grandmothers

Doris Lessing, 2004

With the four short novels in this collection, Doris Lessing once again proves that she is unequalled in her ability to capture the truth of the human condition. The title story, ‘The Grandmothers’, is an astonishing tour de force, a shockingly intimate portrait of an unconventional extended family and the lengths to which they will go to find happiness and love. Written with a keen cinematic eye, the story is a ruthless dissection of the veneer of middle-class morality and convention which manages to be at once universal and desperately, heartbreakingly personal. A second story, ‘Victoria and the Staveneys’, takes us through 20 years of the life of a young underprivilged black girl in London. A chance meeting introduces her to the world of the Staveneys – a liberal white middle-class family – and, seduced, she falls pregnant by one of the sons. As her young daughter grows up, Victoria feels her parental control diminishing as the attractions of the Staveney’s world exert themselves. An honest and often uncomfortable look at race relations in London over the past few decades, Lessing reaffirms her brilliance at demonstrating the effect of society on the individual. With these and two other equally brilliant novellas, Lessing has proven Подробнее

The Hound of Death

Agatha Christie, 2003

A collection of macabre mysteries, including the superlative story Witness for the Prosecution… Twelve unexplained phenomena with no apparent earthly explanation… A dog-shaped gunpowder mark; an omen from ‘the other side’; a haunted house; a chilling seance; a case of split personalities; a recurring nightmare; an eerie wireless message; an elderly lady’s hold over a young man; a disembodied cry of ‘murder’; a young man’s sudden amnesia; a levitation experience; a mysterious SOS. To discover the answers, delve into the supernatural storytelling of Agatha Christie. Подробнее

Passenger to Frankfurt

Agatha Christie, 2003

A middle-aged diplomat is accosted in an airport lounge and his identity stolen… Sir Stafford Nye’s journey home from Malaya to London takes an unexpected twist in the passnger loungs at Frankfurt – a young woman confides in him that someone is trying to kill her. Yet their paths are to cross again and again – and each time the mystery woman is introduced as a different person. Equally at home in any guise in any society she draws Sir Stafford into a game of political intrigue more dangerous than he could possibly imagine. In an arena where no-one can be sure of anyone, Nye must do battle with a well-armed, well-financed, well-trained – and invisble – enemy… Подробнее

Beyond Black

Hilary Mantel, 2005

Shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction. Hilarious and sinister, ‘Beyond Black’ is a tale of dark secrets and secret forces in suburban England. Alison Hart is a medium by trade: dead people talk to her, and she talks back. With her flat-eyed, flint-hearted sidekick, Colette, she tours the dormitory towns of London's orbital road, passing on messages from dead ancestors: 'Granny says she likes your new kitchen units.' Alison's ability to communicate with spirits is a torment rather than a gift. Behind her plump, smiling and bland public persona is a desperate woman. She knows that the next life holds terrors that she must conceal from her clients. Her days and nights are haunted by the men she knew in her childhood, the thugs and petty criminals who preyed upon her hopeless, addled mother, Emmie. They infiltrate her house, her body and her soul; the more she tries to be rid of them, the stronger and nastier they become. ‘Beyond Black’ is a witty and deeply sinister story of dark secrets and forces, set in an England that jumps at its own shadow, a country whose banal self-absorption is shot through by fear of the engulfing dark. Подробнее

An Experiment in Love

Hilary Mantel, 2004

Following on from ‘A Change in Climate’, this brilliant novel follows two girls as they leave behind their pasts and set off to the new preoccupations of 1970s London. It is London, 1970. Carmel McBain, in her first term at university, has cut free of her childhood roots in the north. Among the gossiping, flirtatious girls of Tonbridge Hall, she begins her experiments in life and love. But the year turns. The mini-skirt falls out of style and an era of concealment begins. Carmel’s world darkens, and tragedy waits in the wings. Подробнее

Kingdom of Golden Dragon

Isabel Allende, 2005

From one of the world's best-loved storytellers comes a magical novel of adventure and discovery – the sequel to Isabel Allende's bestselling City of the Beasts. Fifteen-year-old Alex Cold, his friend Nadia and his eccentric grandmother Kate embark on a journey to a mysterious, hidden land high in the Himalayas. There they find that the peaceful, spiritual lifestyle of the Forbidden Kingdom, which has remained unchanged for generations, is under threat. 'The Collector', a rich westerner, is plotting to steal the Golden Dragon, a valuable statue that can foretell the future… Full of the imagination and wonder that has made Isabel Allende one of the world’s bestselling authors, The Kingdom of the Golden Dragon is an enthralling work of fiction that will delight the thousands of readers of all ages who bought and loved City of the Beasts Подробнее

Vampire War Trilogy

Darren Shan, 2005

The nightmare continues… Vampire War Trilogy comprising: Hunters of the Dusk, Allies of the Night and Killers of the Dawn. Join Darren Shan’s descent into the darkness. HUNTERS OF THE DUSK Darren Shan leaves Vampire Mountain on a life or death mission. Darren scours the world in search of the Vampaneze Lord, bu the road ahead is lined with the bodies of the damned. ALLIES OF THE NIGHT Darren Shan faces his worst nightmare yet – school! But bodies are piling up and the past is catching up with the hunters fast! KILLERS OF THE DAWN Darren Shan becomes public enemy Number One. As the vampires prepare for deadly confrontation, is this the end for Darren and his allies? Подробнее

My Invented Country: A Memoir

Isabel Allende, 2009

The life story of Isabel Allende – one of the world's favourite writers – is as exotic, passionate and inspiring as one of her novels. Подробнее

Time Bites

Doris Lessing, 2005

Assembled here for the first time in book form are the very best of several decades' worth of occasional writings from perhaps the best-loved and most-admired of Britain's great female writers. A selection of the very best of Doris Lessing's essays, never before collected together and published in book form. Articles on writers as diverse as Jane Austen, Muriel Spark, Virginia Woolf, D.H. Lawrence, Mikael Bulgakov sit alongside autobiographical looks at the beliefs that have shaped Lessing's thinking. There are adoring and adorable pieces on the beloved cats that she has allowed to share her life, and insightful looks at the Africa in which she grew up, and London and England, the place where she made her home. The range of subjects, cultures and periods within these essays is huge but the collection is utterly consistent in one key regard: Doris Lessing's clear-eyed vision and clearly-expressed prose are present throughout. There is a huge amount of wisdom and entertainment in these pages, and fans of Doris' infectiously forthright, zestful and impish spirit will love to own and read this book. Подробнее

Angel

Colleen McCullough, 2005

The bestselling author of THE THORN BIRDS returns with a novel of laughter, passion and more than a little magic … 1960, Sydney's Kings Cross. Harriet Purcell leaves her conventional, respectable home and respectable, passionless boyfriend and moves into a rooming house owned by Mrs. Delvecchio Schwartz. There, Harriet finds a life she relishes – excitement, adventure and passion. Mrs. Delvecchio Schwartz makes a living from telling fortunes, and is mother to 4-year-old Flo. Beautiful little Flo is mute, and Harriet comes to love her as if Flo were her own – and must protect her at all costs when tragedy strikes… Angel is Colleen McCullough at her vintage best, drawing on her own experiences of living in the Cross in the 1960s and writing of a world that has long gone. Most of all, it is a tale of a woman's love for a child, and what she is prepared to endure to ensure her survival. Подробнее

On, Off

Colleen McCullough, 2006

The captivating new novel from the international bestselling author of ‘The Thorn Birds’. Innocence is no protection… In Holloman, Connecticut, someone is preying on the innocent. At a prestigious research centre fondly known by its staff as the 'Hug', parts of a mutilated body are found. Lieutenant Carmine Delmonico of the Holloman Police learns that a string of horrifying murders – each with the same modus operandi as the one at the Hug – have been commited throughout the state. When another body is found, the medical staff become prime suspects. With the powers that be in turmoil and every member of staff hiding something, Delmonico must delve into the lives of each and every Hug employee. This is the case of his career and he is determined to solve it. But how, when he is hunting a monster who leaves no clues and is always two steps ahead? Подробнее

Zorro

Isabel Allende, 2006

Bestselling author Isabel Allende’s first adult novel since ‘Portrait in Sepia’ – beautiful, disturbing and atmospheric. Beneath the mask, there is a man. And in his heart burns the fire of injustice … Duels at dawn, fierce battles with pirates and impossible rescues – these are the deeds that forged the legend of Zorro. But where did the man begin? Southern California, late 18th century: Diego de la Vega is a child of two worlds, his father an aristocratic Spaniard, his mother a Shoshone warrior. Growing up he witnesses the brutual injustices dealt to Native Americans. Later, following the example of his fencing master, the young Diego joins a secret movement devoted to helping the powerless. His first steps on the road to heroism have been taken. But a great rival will emerge from the ranks of the cruel oppressors. How will Zorro defeat him? And will his childhood sweetheart Isabel claim the prize she so longs for – his true love? Подробнее

Born Bad

Josephine Cox, 2009

The powerful new bestseller from the nation’s favourite storyteller Harry always knew he would go back one day… Eighteen years ago he made a decision that drove him from the place he knew and loved. In those early years he carved out a life for himself, and somehow, he had found a semblance of peace. Every waking moment during those long aching years he was haunted by what happened when he was a boy. He had never forgotten that warm, carefree girl with the laughing eyes. For Judy Saunders, the pain of her past has left her deeply scarred. Cut off from her family and stuck in a stormy marriage to a man she doesn't love, the distant memories of her first love are her only source of comfort. Now for the first time in all those years, Harry is heading back and he needs to know the outcome of what happened all those years ago. And most importantly, he needs to find forgiveness. Подробнее

Antony and Cleopatra

Colleen McCullough, 2008

Passion, politics, love and death combine in a novel of the legendary love triangle between the three leaders of the Roman era: Cleopatra, Mark Antony and Octavian, from the bestselling author of The Thorn Birds Mark Antony, famous warrior and legendary lover, expected that he would be Julius Caesar's successor. But after Caesar's murder it was his 18-year old nephew, Octavian, who was named in the will. No-one, least of all Antony, expected him to last but his youth and slight frame concealed a remarkable determination and a clear strategic sense. Antony was the leader of the fabulously rich East. Barely into his campaigning, he met Cleopatra, Pharaoh of Egypt. Bereft by the loss of Julius Caesar, her lover, father of her only son, she saw Antony as another Roman who could support her and provide more heirs. His fascination for her, his sense that she knew the way forward where he had lost his, led to the beginning of their passionate, and very public affair. The two men, twin rulers of Rome, might have found a way to live with each other but not with Cleopatra between them. This is a truly epic story of power and scandal, battle and passion, political spin and inexorable fate with a rich historical background and a remarkable cast of characters, all brought brilliantly to life by Colleen McCullough. It is hard to leave the world she has created. Подробнее

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