Showing results by narrator "Ciaran Saward" in All Categories

Fortunes rise and fall in Wilbur Smith's tale of warring siblings and illegal diamond trading, The Diamond Hunters. The Van Der Byl Diamond Company, willed by its founder to his son Benedict, his sister Tracey and their estranged foster brother Johnny Lance, turns out to be a bequest of hatred. For it is couched in such terms as to offer Benedict the instrument of destruction of his bitterest rival. 'Destroy Johnny' is the old man's implacable message. And so, consumed with envy for Johnny, Benedict sets out in ruthless pursuit of this goal.

When a parish priest is brutally murdered in cold blood, a rural community is left in shock–and fear. New to the Vale of the White Horse, Detective Sergeant Mark Turpin discovers the murder bears the hallmark of a vicious killer who shows no remorse for his victim, and leaves no trace behind. After a second priest is killed, his broken body bearing similar ritualistic abuse, the police are confronted by a horrifying truth–there is a serial killer at large with a disturbing vendetta.

Civil war is ripping England apart. Families are divided, emotions run high. Whether on the bleakness of the moors or in snug, wood-panelled rooms, danger lurks. A body is found, its mouth pierced with thorns. The Justice of the Peace, a godly man, is certain that witchcraft is involved. Only his assistant, former cavalryman John Carne, looks for reason where others see demons and witches.

The last time Conrad was unemployed, he got a visit from the Allfather. Look where that got him.... And now the Gnomes of Lakeland want him to be the new Commissioner. A simple job: Sort out the Assessors and put the Grand Union on a stable footing. They’re even willing to pay for an assistant to help him with the difficult magick stuff. What could possibly go wrong?

40 per cent of self-made millionaires are dyslexic.Dyslexia does not equal stupidity. For many, it’s a superpower. Think Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, Steven Spielberg and Sir Richard Branson. The Dyslexic Edge challenges the narrative that views dyslexia as a deficit or impediment to success, presenting compelling research to demonstrate quite the opposite. By delving into the lives and experiences of some of the best-known dyslexic minds worldwide, Jamie Waller and Dr Helen Taylor highlight the distinct advantage that dyslexic thinking brings.

Humanity is running out of options. Habitable planets are being destroyed as quickly as they're found and Naira Sharp thinks she knows the reason why. The all-powerful Mercator family has been controlling the exploration of the universe for decades, and exploiting any materials they find along the way under the guise of helping humanity's expansion. But Naira knows the truth, and she plans to bring the whole family down from the inside.

Conrad’s 11x great grandfather has been haunting his house since 1622, keeping a secret and biding his time. A secret that spells trouble for the world of magick. The King’s Watch want to Summon him. The keepers of the secret don’t want that to happen. They unleash a fire Mage to stop the summoning and don’t care who dies on the way. And when Spectre Thomas finally makes an appearance, he passes the guilt of old sins on to Conrad’s shoulders.

What’s it like to live forever? Alicia is about to find out... Just because you don’t grow old, it doesn't mean you won’t die a violent death at the hands of your broodmates. Or the Queen who laid your egg. From the moment she hatches in the Derwent Sídhe, Alicia is fighting. For her life. To gain position. To become an adult. And then, the moment she drops her wings and emerges, the fun really starts.

In Clerkswell, the great and the good assemble for a Samhain party. In Manchester, mages prepare for the Warden Hustings. But on a tree in the Furness Peninsula hangs the body of a man. Someone thinks they have settled a score, but all they’ve done is start a feud. A storm is brewing, and Conrad has to stop it turning into all-out war. Fate has dealt him a difficult hand—another new partner, the implacable opposition of the Lakeland Mages, and having to shield the members of his non-magickal team. So Conrad does what he does best: grits his teeth and rides into the storm.

As one of the most famous and influential couples in the world, David and Victoria Beckham have attained iconic status. The ultimate power couple have together built a multi-billion-dollar global brand. For decades, adoring fans have been captivated by the glamorous world they have created, but are their lives really as perfect as the Beckhams would like the world to believe? The House of Beckham unravels the extraordinary reality of the business-savvy cultural icons to tell an engrossing, often astonishing story of money, sex and power.

Lara, Rufus, Tom and Barney are back in their second exciting adventure together. With the help of friends old and new, can they navigate their way through the ancient wonders of Egypt to unearth one of the greatest treasure troves in history?

Eight jobs. Eight specialists in modern technology required. Applicants to be married, with no children, and prepared to travel. Highly persuasive salaries. Eight positions filled. Eight scientists – and their wives – disappear. Completely. Advertisement no.9. Sydney, Australia. Fuel specialist required. Looks like a job for John Bentall.

A personal portrait of a fascinating people, a sideways history, and an entertaining travelogue, Why the Dutch Are Different is the story of an Englishman who went Dutch. And loved it.

The Soviet Union is gone, but its ghostly traces remain, not least in the material vestiges left behind in its turbulent wake. What was it really like to live in the USSR? What did it look, feel, smell, and sound like? In The Soviet Century, Karl Schlögel, one of the world's leading historians of the Soviet Union, presents a spellbinding epic that brings to life the everyday world of a unique lost civilization. A museum of—and travel guide to—the Soviet past, The Soviet Century explores in evocative detail both the largest and smallest aspects of life in the USSR.

The Mage-King of Wessex has passed away, and the stage is set for a battle royal: the richest mage in England versus the most powerful coven of witches. And Conrad finds himself in the middle. The struggle is a civilized one at first - Lord Mowbray and the Daughters of the Goddess meet for a conference in Mowbray’s Mage Palace of Pellacombe, with Conrad, Mina, and Saffron sent to see fair play. Until first tragedy and then murder plunge the staff kingdom of Wessex into a dangerous crisis, and Conrad has to draw on all his team’s powers and his own experience to avoid a bloodbath.

After discovering he's the long-lost son of the murdered Wolf King and leading a revolt against the tyrant King Leopold the Lion, Drew Ferran must rule over a kingdom in disarray. But the former shepherd has mixed feelings about taking his place on the throne. In the wake of a vicious attack by Leopold's son, Prince Lucas, Drew seizes the opportunity to flee his obligations in pursuit of the renegade prince.

Through the fascinating account of their quest, Mark Pilkington reveals the long history of UFOria and its parallels in little-known tales from the murky worlds of espionage, psychological warfare, and advanced military technology. Along the way he discovers that the truth about flying saucers is stranger and more complex than either the ufologists or debunkers would have us believe.

In a sleepy Devon village, a woman is taken from the streets. Local vet Jenny is horrified. This kind of thing doesn’t happen here. But it’s not the first time she’s been so close to a crime scene. The daughter of a prolific serial killer, she’s spent her whole life running from who she really is. And the crime is harrowingly similar to those her father committed all those years ago.

Conrad Clarke, former RAF pilot and alleged gangster, gets a text – and a visit – from The Allfather. Odin has a challenge for Conrad: Sign up to protect England from wild magick and get a commission in the King’s Watch. All he has to do is find a missing witch. Simple. Conrad never could resist a challenge. Before you can say “Ragnarok”, he’s plunged into a world of gods, mages, witches, dwarves, and one very aggressive giant mole.

Arriving in Greece on the trail of a missing friend, The Adventurers land themselves in a mystery filled with suspense. An ancient map has been discovered, but where does it lead? Who are the menacing figures pursuing them at every turn? Join Lara, Rufus, and the gang as they set sail for an island-hopping escapade!