Other books that might interest you

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  Barren Grounds

  B. Michael Radburn

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  In 1960s Sydney, a killer stalks the streets – and one cop will risk everything to stop him. 
   
  The calling card of the killer known as ‘The Jeweller’ is as elegant as it is gruesome: a pair of ring fingers, separated from their owners, encircled by a band of wire, and delivered directly to Senior Detective Joe Capello. When the Jeweller taunts Joe and his team into meeting him in the diseased grounds of Barren Park, the consequences of that evening will have permanent repercussions for everyone involved. And for Joe, it gets personal.  
   
  Two years later, Joe is off the force, but no less obsessed with the Jeweller and his horrific crimes. When a new parcel arrives at his home, Joe is invited back onto the task force and given the opportunity to redeem himself. But vindication relies on Joe finally capturing The Jeweller and now he has to decide if he’s willing to do what it takes – whatever it takes – to finally bring this case to a close.

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  Northanger Abbey - A Satirical...

  Jane Austen

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  "Northanger Abbey" by Jane Austen is a novel written in the early 19th century. The story introduces Catherine Morland, a young woman whose unremarkable upbringing and lack of traditional beauty set her apart from the typical heroines found in romantic fiction. Despite this, Catherine yearns for adventure and is captivated by the romantic ideals portrayed in the novels she reads. This longing foreshadows her journey into society, particularly during her trip to Bath. 
  The opening of the novel establishes the contrasting elements of Catherine's mundane life and her fantastical aspirations. From an early age, it is evident that she prefers physical activities over the more traditional feminine pastimes, a trait that continues into her teenage years as she develops a fascination with the very novels that influence her romantic ideas. Her first major adventure starts when she is invited to Bath, where she hopes to discover excitement, friendship, and possibly romance, especially with Mr. Tilney, a character who piques her interest.  
  The narrative offers a witty exploration of societal norms, personal growth, and the disconnect between reality and expectations. This makes "Northanger Abbey" an engaging read for those who appreciate character-driven stories that satirize romantic tropes.

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  A Cuppa Tea and an Aspirin

  Helen Forrester

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  Timeless family drama from the best-selling author of Tuppence to Cross the Mersey. With over 3 million copies sold around the world, Helen Forrester’s heart-warming and gripping fiction, set in Liverpool during the Depression, continues to move readers. 
  Life in a Liverpool tenement block is a grim struggle for Martha Connelly, who works hard every day to protect her family from hunger and disease. 
  When rumours of war reach the neighbourhood in 1938, it becomes clear that life will soon be changed forever. As tough as it is, this is the life that Martha knows and loves — she’ll fight not to lose it, but will she succeed? 
  Despite their troubles, the community is full of warmth and support from friends and neighbours. Through hardships and small triumphs, they’ll strive to survive together. 
  Helen Forrester's A Cuppa Tea and an Aspirin is a top historical classic that takes readers on a journey through the struggles and triumphs of life in a Liverpool tenement block, amidst the looming threat of military action. 
  For fans of Katie Flynn (The Winter Runaway), Maureen Lee (The Kelly Sisters), Pam Howes (Secrets on Mersey Square), Anna Jacobs (The Secrets of Eastby End), and Rosie Goodwin (Yesterday's Shadows). 
  HarperCollins 2022

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  The Mirrored World - A Novel

  Anonymous

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  The critically acclaimed author of The Madonnas of Leningrad (“Elegant and poetic, the rare kind of book that you want to keep but you have to share” —Isabel Allende), Debra Dean returns with The Mirrored World, a breathtaking novel of love and madness set in 18th century Russia. Transporting readers to St. Petersburg during the reign of Catherine the Great, Dean brilliantly reconstructs and reimagines the life of St. Xenia, one of Russia’s most revered and mysterious holy figures, in a richly told and thought-provoking work of historical fiction that recounts the unlikely transformation of a young girl, a child of privilege, into a saint beloved by the poor.

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  Joseph Conrad - A Short Story...

  Joseph Conrad

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  Joseph Conrad was born on 3rd December 1857 in Berdychiv in the Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire.  His birthplace had been part of Poland which its neighbours dismembered into their own Empires. 
   
  Conrad’s early years were spent in constant movement, his father was politically active and frequently in trouble trying to help re-ignite a Polish state which meant arrests and exile and the young Conrad himself suffered from ill-health, spending a year at a retreat in Kyiv recovering.   
   
  By 11 he was orphaned.  His education was mainly private and although he was a voracious reader, he was a poor academic student.  Now, being raised by an uncle who wanted Conrad to have a worthwhile job, it was hoped that a merchant-marine career might bring out the best of him. 
   
  At 16 he was sent to Marseille to embark on that adventure.  Conrad himself was determined to be both a sailor and a great writer. 
   
  Life on board a ship was full of adventures and experiences which included gun-running and close quarter encounters with political conspiracies. 
   
  By his mid 30’s Conrad had returned to shore permanently to add his prodigious literary talents to full time writing.  Although he wrote with a comprehensive command in English his spoken English was often cited as ‘horrible’.   He was now also a British Citizen.   
   
  Conrad brought to English Literature both narrative mastery, compelling prose and fully formed characters as well as a deeper examination of the human psyche in a wealth of work.  He wrote many novels, short stories, nonfiction, and memoirs which are rightly regarded today as some of the finest in English literature.      
   
  Jospeh Conrad died on the 3rd August 1924 at Bishopsbourne, Kent in England.  He was 66.

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  The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard

  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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  Having killed off Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle began a new series of tales on a very different theme. Brigadier Gerard is an officer in Napoleon's army—ecklessly brave, engagingly openhearted, and unshakable, if not a little absurd, in his devotion to the enigmatic Emperor. The Brigadier's wonderful comic adventures, long established in the affections of Conan Doyle's admirers as second only to those of the incomparable Holmes, are sure to find new devotees among the ardent fans of such writers as Patrick O'Brian and George MacDonald Fraser.

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