Showing results by narrator "Gordon Griffin" in All Categories

A disgraced warrior must navigate a course between honour and shame, his people and the Roman Empire, in the first of a new trilogy set in the second century AD, from the author of Smile of the Wolf. AD173. The Danube lies frozen. On its banks gather the clans of Sarmatia, their riders winter...

In 1887, Elizabeth Berry found notoriety throughout the nation after the death of her daughter, perceived by many to be the cruellest of murders. There were many who protested her innocence in the affair, but there were also suspicions surrounding another death related to the nurse - that of her mother. Suddenly Elizabeth Berry's dark story began appearing darker still. For the first time we discover the true story behind this infamous case of the first woman to be hanged at Liverpool's Walton Prison.

While attending a lavish masked ball in Venice, retired Scotland Yard Detective Jasper has a shock when, at the midnight démasqué, he spots a woman whose accidental death he investigated in England three years ago. Even more stunned than Jasper is the woman's husband, Lord Bantham, who has since remarried, not to mention his new wife who sees her acquired position and wealth slip away. Then there are her old friends who all seem to have known more about the 'accident' than they ever let on. Then, the resurrected lady is found dead the next morning.

On a damp autumn day, two girls playing truant from school find a body in a remote cottage not far from Hungerford. The dead woman, Gillian Lestrange, was a ghostwriter, engaged in writing the memoirs of a widely disliked retired spy, Lavinia (Vinnie) Latham. The mystery thickens when Superintendent Gregory Summers discovers that Gillian was a ghost in more ways than one – she has been presumed dead for the past fifteen years. Somebody paid the price for Gillian’s first death, and a heavy price it was.

Robert Arthur Kewdingham is an eccentric failure of a man. In middle age he retreats into a private world, hunting for Roman artefacts and devoting himself to bizarre mystical beliefs. Robert's wife, Bertha, feels that there are few things more dreadful than a husband who will persist in making a fool of himself in public. Their marriage consists of horrible quarrels, futile arguments, incessant bickering. Scarcely any friends will visit the Kewdinghams in their peaceful hometown, Shufflecester.

A tip-off leading to the discovery of a young woman's body throws Harry Vicary and his team into another perplexing murder investigation. Big Andy Cragg's drunken disclosure to an undercover police officer in a West London pub that he was once party to the disposal of the body of a murder victim sets a sinister and disturbing chain of events in motion for Harry Vicary and his team.

At the lush Villa Calypso on the French Riviera, a dying billionaire launches a devious plan: at midnight each day he appoints a new heir to his vast fortune. If he dies within 24 hours, that person takes it all. If not, their chance is gone forever. Yet these are no ordinary beneficiaries, these are men who crossed him, women who deceived him and distant relations intent on reclaiming the family fortune. All are determined to lend death a hand and outwit their rivals, and retired Scotland Yard detective Jasper, in pursuit of the prize.

Lawyers who write books are not, as a rule, popular with their confrères, but Archibald Lenton, the most brilliant of prosecuting attorneys, was an exception. Alphonse Riebiera was a man who had a way with women, women who would fall under his spell and then regret it. But this time it seems he may have picked the wrong woman.

Kirall was desperate. He was a Black Prime Dragoon, the strongest and fiercest of his kind. He was returning home after defeating the Varana when a small planet's moon triggered his Joining Heat. It shouldn't have been possible. He was right. Autumn was desperate. She was human, female, and struggling to survive. At 22, she was barely making ends meet. It's why she agreed to impersonate her roommate as a waitress for the weekend at a private party. She believed the money would change her life. She was right.

1894, Wigan. Miss Dorothea Gadsworth is interviewed for a teaching vacancy at George Street Elementary but is ultimately dismissed as a candidate. The following Monday morning, her body is discovered in a locked classroom with a note by her side. DS Michael Brennan is called in to investigate what appears to be a straightforward suicide, but his instincts tell him there is more to this case than meets the eye.

Ionanthe will leave her freedom at the castle doors. The ancient laws of this kingdom demand an eye for an eye – and she must pay the price for her sister’s mistake. Recently crowned Prince Max plans to bring change to his country, but only after his beautiful new bride has arrived – as payment for the debt he is owed… A ruthless ruler and a virgin queen. Trembling with the fragility of new spring buds, Ionanthe will go to her husband: she was given as penance, but he’ll take her for pleasure!

Never again confuse your vintage with your viticulture, your ullage with your oenology, your sabrage with your cepage. Bask in the admiration of your fellow drinkers, pronounce confidently on the provenance of whatever is in your glass (or your mouth) and hold your own against the most sneering of sommeliers. Written by experts and offering listeners the opportunity to pass off appropriated knowledge as their own, the Bluffer's Guides provide hard fact masquerading as frivolous observation in one witty, easy listen.

The Second World War sparked the writing of hundreds of short stories by servicemen and women as well as civilians. They appeared in magazines and collections during and after the war and addressed all areas of the conflict, from the home front to service abroad. Short stories offer a wonderful insight into everyday concerns on the various front lines and illustrate the humour that kept up morale as well as the despair and confusion felt by so many.

When the body of a middle-aged woman is found frozen beside a canal towpath, it looks like a simple case of death by misadventure. But marks on her neck and a carefully-hidden piece of paper point towards foul play. George Hennessey and Somerled Yellich assemble their team, and quickly begin their investigation into this unusual murder. But as the case progresses they discover that the victim, who was originally from Canada, may not have been all she seemed.

During the long hot summer of 1976, a brilliant young Cambridge mathematician arrives in a remote village in the Lake District and takes on a job as a farm labourer. Painfully awkward and shy, Spencer Little is viewed with suspicion by the community and his only real friendship is with scruffy, clever 10-year-old Alice. When he saves Alice from a wild-fire, the locals at last begin to accept him, but as he is drawn deeper into their lives, he also becomes aware of their secrets - and of the difficulty of keeping his own.

When the snow thaws on London’s Hampstead Heath after a harsh winter, a ghoulish discovery is made that marks the start of a very dangerous case for Detective Inspector Harry Vicary. The body of a man is found on top of a shallow grave containing the battered remains of a young woman. There are no suspicious marks on his corpse and he appears to have frozen to death in a case of misadventure. But what is his connection to the remains below?

When a man is found dead, and his carer, a good-time girl, is suspected of his murder, Detective Inspector Angel is drawn into an intricate web of family lies and deceit. The dead man’s daughter is hiding something, and his granddaughter seems incapable of telling anyone the truth. The pressure is on for Angel to unravel the mystery and identify the killer before another body is found.

The plague has struck London once again but so has opportunity for theatre company Lord Westfield’s Men. Invited to perform at the wedding celebrations of Sophia Magdalena, the fair maid of Bohemia, the company’s bookholder Nicholas Bracewell and his acting troupe begin the long journey across Europe. Confident they will arrive safely and deliver Lord Westfield’s secret missive to an alchemist in the Imperial Court, Nicholas is unaware what danger travels with them.

After a whirlwind romance and dream wedding, the new Mrs Ramsforth is whisked away to an idyllic Greek island by her adoring husband. But as soon as they arrive at their luxurious hotel overlooking the azure sea, Damaris is struck by the feeling she’s been here before.... Puzzling over the familiarity, Damaris’ honeymoon goes from unsettling to a complete nightmare when she finds herself standing over a dead body, unable to explain how she got there. Now only one man can save her – fellow holidaymaker and former Scotland Yard inspector Jasper.

The Odyssey is an epic poem, written by the ancient Greek philosopher Homer, and considered to be the second oldest piece of western literature still in existence. Scholars believe it was written at the end of the eighth century BC. Still heavily used in schools because of its unique literary makeup and historical value, the poems follow Greek hero Odysseus, as he journeys home after the 10-year long Trojan War. His journey home takes another 10 years, and Odysseus encounters many obstacles.