Showing results by narrator "Mark Meadows" in All Categories

Alec Reid’s ghosts of the 21st century seldom lurk in old houses or waft across chilly moors. His dark tales may breathe alongside the supernatural, but they take place in broad daylight, in our daily lives. Their themes include dead warriors resurrected via Bluetooth, Rumpelstiltskin in the suburbs, an algorithmic fear of ghosts, and the shattered dreams of immortality. The world they describe is the one you inhabit, but you would live in terror were you to recognize it for what it is.

Shaun is finally free of responsibilities to anyone but himself; single, with two grown up daughters, he is just embarking on a new life in a new country when he gets a call to say his father is dying. His mother has Parkinson's Dementia and is in a care home. Shaun faces a stark choice: should he give up his new-found freedom, or turn his back on the woman he'd fought so hard to protect, not least from his own father? Shaun's mother had loved and cared for her son all her life. Could he now do the same for her?

Simon Majumdar is a man on a mission, and he might just be hungry enough to accomplish it. Setting out in search of the ultimate meal, he travels to every corner of the globe - from China to Brazil and from Finland to Japan. He tries everything, from mouldy shark in Iceland (not very nice) to kare stew in the Philippines (almost unimaginably delicious) and befriends (and sometimes fights with) some extraordinary characters along the way.

As revenge for marrying a man he didn't approve of, Véronique d'Hergemont's father, Professor Antoine d'Hergemont, kidnapped her baby and, while escaping, drowned with the baby at sea. Fourteen years later, in 1917, Véronique is watching a film and spots her quite unique signature written on the side of a hut in the background of a scene. The signature, V d'H, prompts her to visit the location where the movie was shot and launches her into a deep and ancient mystery that only one man can solve.

A short story from the British Library Crime Classic collection Final Acts. This unusual tale by Roy Vickers follows Scotland Yard as they investigate the mysterious death of the wife of a famous clown.

Prince Hamlet's father is dead. Hamlet believes he was murdered, and that he knows the culprit. The only problem is it's his uncle, the new king—and Hamlet has no proof.

These classic mystery short stories feature Maurice Lebanc’s famous rogue, Arsène Lupin. A master of disguise, Lupin moves between high society and a burglar’s life, stealing from the rich and powerful and creating mischief for Detective Ganimard.

This box set brings the Bard's timeless tales to life for a younger generation, with wit and panache. Samantha Newman's cleverly reworked text retains many of Shakespeare's own inimitable turns of phrase, while simplifying and clarifying the language and plots to make stories accessible to children. Perfect for children aged 7+.

The King of Naples and the Duke of Milan are shipwrecked on a strange, enchanted island. Little do they know that the lord of the island is Prospero, the old duke of Milan who they betrayed many years ago—and he has been plotting his revenge ever since...

According to the rule books, a marathon is 26.2 gruelling yet exhilarating miles. Millions of people run marathons around the world. Many more millions dream of doing it. But novice or veteran runners, marathons require training and plenty of it. Certified marathon coach David Levine and dedicated marathoner Paula Petrella know how to get anyone in shape for the race and share the entire procedure in clear, jargon-free language. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Marathon Training includes practical advice that addresses the needs of men and women of all ages.

It starts with the phone call late at night. The mysterious boy says he is dying. Dusty doesn't want to get involved - but the boy seems to have a link to the one person who's most important to her. Soon she has been drawn in - and now she has to deal with the other people who are looking for the boy - the violent man and his two sons and the police, too.

In the crippling heat of August in Rome, a flat goes up in flames, the doors sealed from the outside. Five illegal immigrants are trapped and burnt alive—their charred bodies barely distinguishable amidst the debris. When Detective Inspectors Rossi and Carrara begin to investigate, a terror organisation shakes the city to its foundations. Then a priest is found murdered and mutilated post-mortem—his injuries almost satanic in their ferocity.

For over fifty years Egypt has known nothing but war and devastation at the hands of the Hyksos, a bloodthirsty barbarian people from the distant east who continue to advance, crushing armies in their wake. Times are desperate, but throughout the conflict, a brave resistance fights on under the great Taita, a slave who has risen far beyond his ranks. Piay, entrusted into Taita's care by his parents at the age of just five, has been trained to become a great spy, unmatched by any other.

A timely and important book that urges greater responsibility in the face of growing inequality. Inequality in Britain is growing. Does this matter? Should we be bothered that the rich give proportionately much less than the poor? And that only a small minority of the very wealthy are giving generously? Ninety per cent of NHS trusts are restricting routine operations. Youth unemployment is at record levels. Giving is Good for You demonstrates that growing inequality and poverty is a threat to everyone.

Zach and his sister Annis, uprooted from their comfortable home to a remote and half-built barn in France, are just trying to keep everything together. When Zach enters a dangerously derelict building nearby, the tottering wall falls and buries him. As Annis races towards him, unbelievably, Zach moves. How could he have survived such a terrible accident?

'A man's eye is accommodative, like his heart.' Samuel Browne's wife has left him suddenly after just three years of marriage. She invites him to 'go live a better life without me'. He must start again, and alone. And so it is that Sam finds himself deep in the English countryside in a cold but characterful old house, remote and encircled by hills, in the employment and company of an older, wiser man, a man as fond of mystery as he is of enlightenment.

Eugenio Bortuzzi has been named Prefect for Vigàta, a regional representative from the Italian government tasked to oversee the town. But the rowdy and unruly Sicilians don't care much for this rather pompous mainlander nor the mediocre opera he's hell-bent on producing in their new municipal theatre. The Brewer of Preston, it's called, and the Vigàtese are revving up to wreak havoc on the performance's opening night....

New business is the lifeblood of every company - and this book expertly guides you through the process of securing more than your fair share of it. If you're a salesperson in the trenches looking for inspiration, this book offers real-life advice on improving your customer-facing skills to win more new business. The structured approach presented inside will have you walking the walk, talking the talk, and closing more deals in no time!

The last text Daisy Parsloe received was from her smart fridge about some mouldy potato salad. She's not doing well at work, her love life is haphazard and her elderly mother seems to be losing her mind. And now, apparently even the appliances are judging her life choices. What Daisy doesn't know is that the appliances are also plotting. They've joined together, across the internet of things, to nudge Daisy in the right direction. But it isn't long before their well-meaning interference starts to get noticed and the race is on to find Daisy's Mr Right before the plugs are pulled.

Jamie is under pressure from his father to succeed. In the competitive world of squash, his dad is determined that where he failed, Jamie should succeed. The emotional and physical bullying that Jamie has to endure makes him recoil into himself until he feels backed into a corner and doesn't know where to turn. Then he discovers the girl hiding in his shed and sees an opportunity, not only to help her, but to get away from his own life, too. Together they go on the run - but danger is coming after the girl and it's surely only a matter of time before they're both discovered.