Showing results by narrator "Phyllida Nash" in All Categories

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a husband. So say the friends and family of impoverished widow Octavia Darcy when she unexpectedly inherits a fortune, but she has a different view and looks forward to a new life of independence.

Mia still hasn't got over her cat's death - she had Tibby for as long as she can remember and can't ever imagine having another pet. But one day, just before Christmas, she finds out that her friend's cat has had kittens. Over the holidays she goes round to play with them. Mia's parents think she has coped with Tibby's loss, and surprise her by saying she can have the last kitten, Whiskers.Mia's not sure she's ready yet - although she loves Whiskers, she feels guilty about Tibby.

1817. As a young woman, clever, self-reliant Lydia Templeton scandalised society by rejecting Lewis Durrant, the county's most eligible batchelor.

Ten years later, Lydia has no regrets and, having concluded that matters of the heart need no longer trouble her, she is quite happy to remain unwed. But others still seek Lydia's advice on their love lives.

Georgette Heyer remains an enduring international best seller, read and loved by four generations of readers and extolled by today's best-selling authors. Despite her enormous popularity, she never gave an interview or appeared in public. Georgette Heyer wrote her first novel, The Black Moth, when she was 17 in order to amuse her convalescent brother. It was published in 1921 to instant success, and 90 years later it has never been out of print.

From MILLION COPY BESTSELLER Judy Leigh 'Judy’s done it again. Every woman over a certain age should read this wonderful book' Jennifer Bohnet Deep in the Somerset countryside, the Combe Pomeroy village library hosts a monthly book club. Ruth the librarian fears she’s too old to find love...

When Chloe’s big brother, Will, breaks his leg, he’s stuck in hospital for weeks. Mum and Dad are frantic, and there’s no one to look after the family’s lively Border collie puppy, Jess.

Jess is miserable and lonely, and so is Chloe. But Chloe doesn’t really like dogs, and Jess only wants Will. Can the two of them ever be friends?

A touching animal story from best-selling author Holly Webb.

Ruby is thrilled when she gets to meet her aunt's dachshund's new puppies for the very first time. And her parents have a wonderful surprise - she is going to have one of them for her very own! Ruby chooses the cheekiest, most adventurous puppy, Toby, and the two have fun playing together. But Toby's inquisitive nature gets him into serious trouble on a woodland walk, when he slips his collar and goes off to investigate the woods by himself.

The BRAND NEW feel-good read from MILLION COPY BESTSELLER Judy Leigh ‘We’re celebrating life,’ Rose said. ‘Life, every single minute of it. Tell me, girls - is there ever anything better to celebrate than that?’ Five years after seventy-something Tess jetted off to Paris with her best...

This extraordinary audiobook is a collection of diary pieces that Jan Morris wrote for the Financial Times over the course of 2017. A former soldier and journalist, and one of the great chroniclers of the world for over half a century, she writes here in her characteristically intimate voice - funny, perceptive, wise, touching, wicked, scabrous, and above all, kind - about her thoughts on the world, and her own place in it as she turns 90. From cats to cars, travel to home, music to writing, it's a cornucopia of delights from a unique literary figure.

Miss Seeton is most embarrassed. Her every attempt at a portrait of little Effie Goffer has become a chilling picture of a corpse. Is Miss Seeton actually drawing a clue to a series of child murders in rural England? Scotland Yard thinks so, and wants Miss Seeton to turn from sketching...to catching a killer skilled in a very deadly art. Retired art teacher Miss Seeton steps in where Scotland Yard stumbles. Armed with only her sketch pad and umbrella, she is every inch an eccentric English spinster and at every turn the most lovable and unlikely master of detection.

Lucy is unhappy about having to move home and leave all her friends behind. Her parents hope that a cat might help her to settle in, so they surprise her with Sky a gorgeous Siamese kitten. Lucy falls in love with Sky, but she’s still upset with her parents and pretends that she’s not interested in the kitten. Poor Sky is left feeling confused and alone. Why doesn’t Lucy want her? Another fantastic animal story from bestselling author Holly Webb.

In The Darcy Connection, Mr. Collins of Pride and Prejudice is now the Bishop of Ripon, living with his wife Charlotte and their two daughters, who have reached marriageable age. The elder, another Charlotte, is extraordinarily beautiful, and her parents hope her looks and connections will ensure a brilliant marriage. Her sister Eliza, while not as handsome, possesses a lively intelligence that, in Mr. Collins's opinion, is too like her godmother Mrs. Darcy.

When a flood of perfectly faked banknotes hits the market, retired art teacher Miss Emily Seeton, the Yard's famed ‘MissEss', is chosen to investigate a respected Geneva bank. Somehow, the forger is also mixed up in the theft of valuable paintings, so it's ‘set an artist to catch an artist.' But Miss S. is new to air travel – surely the names Geneva and ‘Genova' must be the same place? Bamboozling both the crooks and the police who vainly try to keep tabs on her, innocently humming the fraudsters' musical password, she trips gaily along the dangerous trail. Serene amidst every kind of skullduggery, this eccentric English spinster steps in where Scotland Yard stumbles, armed with nothing more than her sketchpad and umbrella!

A sudden interest in the occult swept through the English village of Plummergen, with Ouija boards replacing the best china in many a cozy cottage. It might be quite the thing for maiden ladies and persnickity aunts, but it wasn't Miss Seeton's cup of tea...until Scotland Yard requested she go undercover to investigate some sinister shenanigans in the Kentish countryside. A flim-flam was afoot in the local witches' coven...and magic could be a prelude to murder most foul.

Let bestselling author Judy Astley sweep you away with this uplifting, laugh-out-loud comedy which shows EXACTLY what little boys are made of. Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Milly Johnson and Trisha Ashley. 'A funny, incisive gem of a novel' - Sunday Post 'This deliciously funny novel had me...

Jasmine is thrilled when the neighbours ask her to cat-sit while they go away for Christmas. Now she’ll be able to spend her whole holiday with the beautiful Star. Star loves playing with Jasmine and soon the pair are inseparable. But what Jasmine doesn’t know is that Star has a secret. Although it is cold and dark outside, the time has come for Star to leave Jasmine and her warm, safe home and find a place to hide. But where should she go? Another touching animal story from best-selling author Holly Webb.

When Daisy arrives at the farm campsite where her family are spending her summer holiday, she knows she's going to have the best time ever. Especially when she finds out the farm dog has just had puppies! Daisy can't help falling in love with Barney, the smallest of the litter of German Shepherd pups. Barney takes to the friendly new girl who sneaks him food and smuggles him into her sleeping bag at night, and soon the pair are inseparable.

In RASCAL THE STAR, Ellie is thrilled when her friend Lucy is picked to star in a TV commercial. The only problem is that the ad is for dog food and Lucy is terrified of dogs. Ellie and Rascal team up to help out - but whenever Rascal is about, trouble is never far behind... In RASCAL AND THE WEDDING, Auntie Gemma is getting married and Ellie is going to be a bridesmaid. She'd love for Rascal to to be part of her auntie's Big Day, too.

When Miss Seeton walks out after a performance of Carmen and witnesses a real-life stabbing, all she can recall is a shadowy figure. But how could she have guessed that her latest artistic endeavor is a picture-perfect portrait of the killer? Her sketch puts her in a perilous position, for back at her recently inherited cottage in Plummergen village, she's fated to be a sitting duck...for murder most foul!

Mrs Gladden uses similar methods to her male counterparts - she enters scenes of crime incognito, tracking down killers while trying to conceal her own tracks and her identity from others. She does much physical detective work, examining scenes of crime, looking for clues and employing all manner of skill, subterfuge, observation and charm to achieve her ends. Characteristic of the casebooks of the time, Forrester's book features various cases narrated by Mrs Gladden, including murder, fraud and the sale of a baby.