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  Richard Bruce - Burglar - Former...

  Edgar Wallace

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  Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace was born on the 1st April 1875 in Greenwich, London.  Leaving school at 12 because of truancy, by the age of fifteen he had experience; selling newspapers, as a worker in a rubber factory, as a shoe shop assistant, as a milk delivery boy and as a ship’s cook.  
   
  By 1894 he was engaged but broke it off to join the Infantry being posted to South Africa. He also changed his name to Edgar Wallace which he took from Lew Wallace, the author of Ben-Hur.  
   
  In Cape Town in 1898 he met Rudyard Kipling and was inspired to begin writing. His first collection of ballads, The Mission that Failed! was enough of a success that in 1899 he paid his way out of the armed forces in order to turn to writing full time.  
   
  By 1904 he had completed his first thriller, The Four Just Men. Since nobody would publish it he resorted to setting up his own publishing company which he called Tallis Press. 
    
  In 1911 his Congolese stories were published in a collection called Sanders of the River, which became a bestseller. He also started his own racing papers, Bibury’s and R. E. Walton’s Weekly, eventually buying his own racehorses and losing thousands gambling.  A life of exceptionally high income was also mirrored with exceptionally large spending and debts.  
   
  Wallace now began to take his career as a fiction writer more seriously, signing with Hodder and Stoughton in 1921. He was marketed as the ‘King of Thrillers’ and they gave him the trademark image of a trilby, a cigarette holder and a yellow Rolls Royce. He was truly prolific, capable not only of producing a 70,000 word novel in three days but of doing three novels in a row in such a manner. It was estimated that by 1928 one in four books being read was written by Wallace, for alongside his famous thrillers he wrote variously in other genres, including science fiction, non-fiction accounts of WWI which amounted to ten volumes and screen plays. Eventually he would reach the remarkable total of 170 novels, 18 stage plays and 957 short stories. 
   
  Wallace became chairman of the Press Club which to this day holds an annual Edgar Wallace Award, rewarding ‘excellence in writing’.  
   
  Diagnosed with diabetes his health deteriorated and he soon entered a coma and died of his condition and double pneumonia on the 7th of February 1932 in North Maple Drive, Beverly Hills. He was buried near his home in England at Chalklands, Bourne End, in Buckinghamshire.

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  Gemma's Bluff

  Karly Lane

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  On a working holiday in the country, away from commitments and other people's expectations, will Gemma find love and a new way of life? 
   
  Smart and reliable, Gemma Northcote has always done what's expected of her. So it's not surprising that after uni she defers to her father's wish that she join the family business. 
   
  Gemma's best friend, Jasmine, is a different personality altogether. She thrives on spontaneity, is unpredictable and has generally pursued her own path. 
   
  When Gemma and Jasmine decide to spend a working holiday on a large rural property, their friends and family are surprised. Neither has any experience of country life (unless you count Jasmine's love of McLeod's Daughters) and they're not exactly farming types. 
   
  Away from her family, Gemma feels liberated. The longer she's away the more she questions what she really wants to do with her future. Ultimately, she realises she needs to choose between duty and what's right for her in life - and love. 
   
  From the bestselling author of Bridie's Choice and Poppy's Dilemma, this inspirational novel is sure to appeal to anyone who's questioned the direction they should take for true happiness.

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  Like I Never Left

  Imani Lewis

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  True love deserves a second chance... 
  They had a love that you only experience once in a lifetime, but Soraya only felt her love was the weight keeping Nolan from reaching his ultimate dreams.  
  After removing herself so he could thrive, Soraya began a new life for herself. When she ended up having to tackle the financial burden of her new marriage, she found an opportunity in a new city across the continent that could keep them afloat a bit longer. 
  Little did she know her new boss is the ex-husband she walked out on all those years ago. Has the love Nolan had for her turned to hate? Or will him being back in her life boil old feelings to the surface?

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  Girls Without Tears

  T. L. Finlay

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  When six-year-old Skye disappears from Everglades City, Noa is hesitant to return to her hometown to help with the search effort. Skye is the daughter of Noa’s ex, Zack, and Taylor, the girl he dumped her for. Going home also means facing the townspeople who have always misunderstood Noa’s medical condition, Congenital Insensitivity to Pain, and dealing with more of their ignorant comments. But returning home is just the beginning of Noa's painful journey. When her childhood friend, Jamie, is assaulted by a vagrant, Noa intervenes in a violent counterattack—and the man’s fingerprints are found near Skye’s DNA. As Noa gets closer to the truth of who kidnapped Skye, she starts to uncover secrets about her hometown that she didn’t expect. Nothing and no one is what they seem in this small Florida backwater—and any good friend can quickly become a deadly enemy.

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  Revolt in the Palace -...

  Andrew Moriarty

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  The fighting may be over, but the war goes on. Quietly. 
  Fighting doesn't always involve guns, and the upcoming elections for Imperial senate stress alliances that aren't up for much stress. Admiral, Dashi, Jose, Marianne and their allies continue maneuvering for advantage. Lying, cheating and stealing are legitimate political tactics. But when the unexpected happens just after the election, every faction is left deciding who they really are loyal to- the empire? Or themselves? 
  Jose, Marianne, Dashi and the Admiral are back in book 7 in the adventures of a Jump space Accountant. If you like strategy over tactics, and thought before action, this series is for you.

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  The Blue Hotel and Other Stories

  Anonymous

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  Stephen Crane's "The Blue Hotel and Other Stories" immerses readers in a vivid exploration of the human psyche and the unpredictable forces of fate. Set against the backdrop of a bleak Nebraska winter, "The Blue Hotel" stands out as a compelling tale of paranoia, misunderstanding, and tragedy. Accompanied by other poignant narratives, Crane masterfully captures the essence of conflict, both internal and external, revealing the profound impact of our perceptions on our reality. A captivating collection that resonates with timeless truths.

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