Other books that might interest you

• 

  A Poisoning at Castle Gloaming

  Kay Blythe

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Mrs Cornelia van Doorn, a wealthy South African widow, has leased Castle Gloaming intending to launch herself and her stepdaughter, Honor, into British society. The castle stands in rugged Welsh countryside, overlooking the foaming River Dee. Its hills are haunted by tales of mythic creatures, including the ghost-dog, Gelert. Its most recent owner, the eighth Earl of Barhaven, has died and Castle Gloaming needs money, which Mrs van Doorn appears to have in abundance. 
   
  Dressmaker-sleuth Jemima Flowerday is hired to dress Mrs van Doorn and Honor in the privacy of Castle Gloaming. Except that Honor is nowhere to be found and Jemima is asked to investigate. The nineteen-year-old seems to have melted into thin air....

  Show book

• 

  Habitat Man

  D. A. Baden

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Tim is fifty, single and in a job he hates. Inspired by a life-coaching session, he sheds his old life to become Habitat Man, giving advice on how to turn gardens into habitats for wildlife. His first client is the lovely Lori. Tim is smitten, but first he has to win round Ethan her teenage son. Tim loves his new life until he digs up more than he bargained for, and uncovers a skeleton, one that threatens to bring out the skeletons in his cupboard too. Only Jo, Tim’s long-time best friend knows his secret, but can she be trusted? 
  Habitat Man was shortlisted for a BBC Radio 4 adaptation 
   Midlife crisis meets eco-fiction in this heartwarming romantic comedy 
  "A tale of lust, gardening, love and compost: a hilarious page turner" Dave Goulson, author of 'The Garden Jungle: or Gardening to Save the Planet' 
  "Habitat Man is both great fun (with such an engaging cast of characters) and a delightful reflection on the ways we live - and the ways we die! - at a time when more and more people are grappling with today's environmental challenges." Jonathon Porritt (Forum for the Future) 
  "A charming romp that makes you think! Mid-life crisis meets environmental awareness in this rom-com for the 21st Century." Michael Jecks, author 
  "A natural storyteller" Writing.co.uk 
  "Truly lyrical and a joy to read" Mark Laggatt, author 
  "Superbly written romance with a lovely touch of humour" Helen Baggott, author

  Show book

• 

  Stranger Than Fiction - From...

  Lafcadio Hearn

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Lafcadio Hearn was born on the 27th June 1850 on the Ionian isle of Levkás in Greece to a British Army officer and a Greek Mother. 
  His father, fearing for his career prospects at being married to a Greek Orthodox wife, sent them to Dublin whilst he continued to advance his career with further postings.  Life there was difficult for mother and son.  His father returned, wounded and traumatised, when Lafcadio was three.  He annulled the marriage and she remarried but had to give up care of Lafcadio to her sister-in law.   
  After brief periods for Catholic education in England and France he emigrated to Ohio in the United States when he was 19, taking on a series of casual jobs before embarking on a career as a journalist, publishing poems and essays in Cincinnati.  It was whilst here that he began a side-line in translating, starting with Gautier and Flaubert.  He married in 1874 to a 20 year old African-American woman in violation of Ohio's anti-miscegenation law.  The marriage soon failed. 
  In 1877 he relocated to New Orleans to write on a variety of themes before picking up a two year assignment from Harper’s to write in the West Indies, where he also wrote his first novel. 
  In 1890 Harper’s sent him to Japan.  Here he left journalism and took the remarkable decision to become a schoolteacher in the north of Japan.   Enraptured by the culture he was driven to explain it in various Western publications to those who had little, if any, knowledge of its culture.  Within the year he had fallen in love with, and married, a high-born Japanese lady, together they would have four children.   
  In 1895 he became a Japanese national and took the name Koizumi Yakumo, Koizumi being his wife’s family name. 
  The following few years, whilst a professor of Literature at the Imperial University of Japan, were his most creative and admired period.   
  Lafcadio Hearn died of heart failure on the 26th of September 1904, in Tokyo, Japan shortly before leaving to deliver a series of lectures at Cornell University in New York State.  He was 54.

  Show book

• 

  A Cup of Flour Pinch of Death

  Valerie Burns

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  On the shores of Lake Michigan, influencer Maddy Montgomery has turned the  
  bakery she inherited from her great-aunt Octavia into a destination. There’s just  
  one thing she won’t post: the body in the kitchen … 
  Thanks to Maddy’s social media savvy, Baby Cakes Bakery is becoming a huge  
  success—so much so that she’s attracted the attention of her former nemesis, the  
  fiancé-stealing Brandy Denton. When Brandy blows into New Bison like an ill wind  
  and disrupts a vlog Maddy’s filming, their argument goes viral. After Brandy’s  
  body is found at Baby Cakes, Maddy instantly goes from viral sensation to murder  
  suspect. 
  As Maddy is still reeling from the murder, a stranger shows up in the bakery  
  claiming to have been a friend of Octavia. He believes Maddy is in danger. When a  
  second body washes up on the lake shore, it seems clear someone’s out to kill to  
  keep a secret—and it may have to do with her great-aunt. 
  Maddy rallies her aunt’s friends, the Baker Street Irregulars, Sheriff April Johnson  
  and her veterinarian boyfriend Michael—not to mention her English mastiff  
  Baby—to do some digging and root out whoever’s behind the killings …

  Show book

• 

  The Wives of Murder Club - An...

  Emma White

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  The first rule of Murder Club? Don't trust the other wives.Marta and her true-crime book club escape to remote Snakebite Island for a long weekend of rosé, late-night confessions, and obsessive discussions about serial killers. No husbands. No responsibilities. Just four friends and a shared love of dark stories.Until one of them turns up dead on the shore. Murdered.They should call the police. But they can't.  An investigation would expose everything the group has been hiding - including a husband who has mysteriously vanished.Instead, they stage the perfect disappearance. After all, they know how these stories work. They've read hundreds of them.But real life isn't a podcast or a paperback thriller. And the deeper Marta gets into the cover-up, the more she realises one terrifying truth: someone on Snakebite Island is a killer. And they're willing to do it again.Perfect for fans of Frieda McFadden, Valerie Keogh and Becca Day

  Show book

• 

  The Call of the Wild

  Jack London

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  The Call of the Wild by Jack London is a timeless adventure novel that captures the raw beauty of nature and the fierce struggle for survival in the frozen wilderness of the Yukon. Set during the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 19th century, this powerful story follows the transformation of a domesticated dog into a creature shaped by instinct, endurance, and the untamed forces of the wild.
  
  The novel centers on Buck, a strong and proud dog living a comfortable life in California's Santa Clara Valley. His world is suddenly shattered when he is stolen and sold into the harsh and demanding world of Alaskan sled dogs. Torn from warmth and security, Buck is thrust into a brutal environment where only the strongest survive. In this unforgiving landscape of snow, ice, and relentless labor, he must quickly adapt or perish.
  
  As Buck learns the "law of club and fang," he discovers that survival depends on strength, intelligence, and primal instinct. Each new master brings a different lesson—some teach cruelty and exploitation, while others reveal loyalty and respect. Through these encounters, Buck evolves both physically and spiritually. The wild awakens something ancient within him, stirring memories of his primitive ancestors and igniting a deep, irresistible pull toward freedom.
  
  Jack London masterfully portrays the tension between civilization and nature, exploring themes of survival, identity, loyalty, and the instinctual drive that lies dormant within all living beings. The harsh northern frontier serves not only as a setting but as a powerful force that shapes character and destiny. London's vivid descriptions of icy trails, deadly rivalries among sled dogs, and the relentless challenges of the wilderness immerse readers in a world where life hangs by a thread.
  
  At its heart, The Call of the Wild is a story of transformation. Buck's journey is not simply one of physical endurance, but of self-discovery. As he sheds the comforts of domestication, he gains strength, confidence, and leadership. His bond with John Thornton, a kind and compassionate master, reveals his capacity for love and devotion even as the call of the wild grows stronger within him.
  
  Blending adventure, emotion, and philosophical depth, Jack London crafts a narrative that resonates across generations. The novel speaks to the universal struggle between security and freedom, society and instinct, comfort and courage. It challenges readers to consider what lies beneath the surface of civilization and what it truly means to be free.
  
  A classic of American literature, The Call of the Wild continues to captivate readers with its gripping action, unforgettable characters, and powerful exploration of humanity's connection to the natural world. It is a stirring tale of resilience, instinct, and the enduring spirit that answers the call of something greater than itself.

  Show book