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  Schalken the Painter

  Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

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  "He was not a man of this world, and the gold he paid with had a cold, ancient gleam."
  
  In the workshops of 17th-century Leyden, the young and talented artist Godfried Schalken falls in love with Rose, the beautiful niece of his master, Gerard Douw. But their romance is shattered by the arrival of a mysterious suitor: Minheer Vanderhausen. Blue-skinned, breathless, and draped in magnificent but outdated finery, Vanderhausen offers a chest of gold so immense that Douw cannot refuse. Rose is bartered away to this living corpse, disappearing into a nightmare from which there is no return. Years later, Schalken is granted one final, terrifying glimpse of his lost love—and the horrific entity she now serves in the shadows.
  
  The Horror of the Visual: Le Fanu, himself an admirer of art, uses the techniques of the Dutch masters to tell his story. He describes scenes as if they were paintings, utilizing chiaroscuro—the intense contrast between deep shadows and bright light—to hide the grotesque features of the supernatural antagonist. The result is a story that feels as textured and atmospheric as an oil painting come to life.
  
  A Tale of Moral Decay: At its heart, the story is a critique of avarice. Gerard Douw's willingness to sell his niece for a chest of gold is the "true" horror that invites the supernatural in. Le Fanu explores the idea that human greed can be more monstrous than any phantom, leading to a tragedy that haunts the protagonist until his dying day.
  
  The Legacy of the "Demon Lover": Schalken the Painter is a foundational text in the "demon lover" tradition of Gothic fiction. It avoids the typical "clanking chains" of 18th-century ghosts, opting instead for a quiet, physical, and deeply uncanny presence. The final image of the story—the "living" painting—remains one of the most famous and frightening endings in horror literature.
  
  Don't look too closely at the shadows. Purchase this masterpiece of the macabre today.

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  Security Blanket

  Delores Fossen

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  Texas P.I. Quinn "Lucky" Bacelli had finally tracked down Marin Sheppard, a woman he was certain knew more about her missing criminal brother than she was letting on. And Lucky wasn't the only one with that suspicion. Someone was willing to kill Marin and her son to get information. After coming to the rescue of the beautiful single mother and her baby boy, Lucky learned about her dangerous past and offered a pretend engagement. But as the connection between Marin's child and a ruthless killer was revealed, the case became frighteningly more real than any he'd ever taken. And standing in as fiancé and father had left Lucky with everything to lose….

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  Notes From The Underground

  Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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  Delve into the psychological depths of "Notes From the Underground" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, a profound exploration of a man's inner turmoil and existential angst. The novel presents the bitter monologues of a retired civil servant living in isolation, grappling with issues of free will, societal norms, and self-awareness. Through intense introspection and philosophical musings, Dostoyevsky unveils the complexities of the human psyche, making this a seminal work in existential literature.

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  Dead Man's Grip - A...

  Peter James

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  'One of the best British crime writers' – Lee Child 
  It's a race against time as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace tries to stop a grieving mother from taking the law into her own hands . . .Read by Daniel Weyman (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power)A university student is killed in a tragic traffic accident while riding their bicycle. When two of the drivers involved are hunted down by a sadistic killer, Grace knows that the third driver, Carly Chase, may be next.Carly, a solicitor, believes hiding is not an option and heads to New York to speak with the cyclist’s mother. But Grace knows about the mother’s underworld connections and that the family will stop at nothing to take an eye for an eye . . .Dead Man's Grip is a race-against-time instalment of the award-winning Grace series by Peter James, now a major ITV show. Enjoy more of the Brighton detective’s investigations with Not Dead Yet and Dead Man's Time.*****23 million books sold.Creator of Her Majesty Queen Camilla’s favourite fictional detective.'Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business' – Karin Slaughter, author of the Will Trent series'Peter James is one of the best British crime writers and therefore one of the best in the world' – Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher series'One of the world’s most popular detective series' – The Guardian'An easy 5* book' – Reader review'Excellent as always!' – Reader review'A brilliant addition to this excellent series' – Reader review*They Thought I was Dead was an instant no.1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 13/05/2024

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  Tough Justice: Countdown (Part 2...

  Carla Cassidy

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  Witness to a Murder?The Crisis Management Unit has a confession—and a dead suspect. Could this mean the end of the bombing spree that’s terrorized New York? Special Agent Lara Grant’s instincts tell her that the danger has only just begun. And sure enough, the carnage continues as the bomber eludes them at every turn. Lara is just beginning to investigate a man taking selfies at each of the bomb sites when, suddenly, another CMU agent becomes a target...Part 2 of 8: An explosive new installment in the thrilling FBI serial from New York Times bestselling author Carla Cassidy and Tyler Anne Snell, Emmy Curtis and Janie Crouch.Praise for Tough Justice: Exposed (Part 1 of Series 1) by Carla Cassidy:“This story charges from the gate right away, dropping the reader into a tense, boiling hot crime drama that will suck readers into its vortex from page one.”–Night Owl Reviews“A wonderful start to this chilling, pulse-pounding series with a storyline that not only entertained through strong dialogue and engaging characters, but left me wanting more.”—Harlequin Junkie

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  The Bundle of Letters - A man...

  Mór Jókai

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  Móric Jókay de Ásva was born on the 18th February 1825 in Komárom, then in the Kingdom of Hungary but now part of Slovakia.  
   
  Due to his timid and delicate constitution he was educated at home until the age of 10 and then sent away to complete his studies at the Calvinist college at Pápa. 
   
  At 12 his father died, and he was pushed to honour him by replicating his career as a lawyer.  He studied hard and completed the curriculum at Kecskemét and Pest.  He won his first case as a newly graduated lawyer. 
   
  But he found a career in law to be dull and, encouraged by the positive reaction to his first play, he moved to Pest in 1845.  There he published, first in a newspaper, and then as a novel ‘Hétköznapok’ (‘Working Days’).  It was acclaimed as a masterpiece.  To add to his promise he was appointed as the editor of Életképek, the leading Hungarian journal. 
   
  In 1848 he married the actress, Róza Laborfalvi.  That same year Europe was awash with revolutions and Jókai, a moderate Liberal, enthusiastically supported the nationalist cause and its decision to depose the Habsburg dynasty.  The attempt failed. 
   
  He was now classed as a political suspect and threw himself into his literary career, writing dozens of novels, many of them masterpieces, stories, essays and the like.  In total he wrote several hundred volumes, many of them in the local Magyar language which helped arrest its declining relevance in society.  
   
  By 1867 the political temperature had cooled, and he entered parliament as well as becoming the editor a government journal he had founded.   His skills were much admired and helped the government navigate through several difficult matters.   
   
  His wife died in 1886 but although grief-stricken he continued to work and to write.  
   
  In 1897 the king appointed him a member of the upper house.  Two years later he caused a minor scandal by marrying the young 20-year-old actress, Bella Nagy.  At the time he was 74. 
   
  Mór Jókai died in Budapest on the 5th May 1904.  He was 79.

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