Showing results by author "M.A.Y.A." in All Categories

'Lady B. stays to tea. (Mem.: Bread-and-butter too thick. Speak to Ethel.) We talk some more about bulbs, the Dutch School of Painting, our Vicar's wife, sciatica, and All Quiet on the Western Front. (Query: is it possible to cultivate the art of conversation when living in the country all the year round?)' If the question suggests a qualified answer, there is no doubt that the art of diary writing is alive and well and very, very funny in Devonshire in the 1920s. At least in the hands of E. M. Delafield.

The tale of a man who unwittingly angers a sorcerer, who is assumed by some Monty scholars to be based on the self-styled 'Great Beast,' occultist Aleister Crowley. Montague Rhodes James was a noted British mediaeval scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–1918) and of Eton College (1918–1936). He is best remembered for his ghost stories which are widely regarded as among the finest in English literature.

First, Evan learned that the toy starship wasn't really a toy. In fact, it allowed him to travel to another galaxy, where he watched the fleets of two galactic empires clash… before coming for him. Then, he learned he's not the only human who knows about the starship or its capabilities… and they're coming for him, too. Now, he's trapped a billion light years from home, in a ship he barely knows how to fly, hunted by a starship that defies imagination. The Möbius—a twisted ring of ancient technology whose weapons don't just obliterate targets, they erase them from existence.

Lynxeen. It's one of the Confederation's younger colonies and an idyllic world... As long as its weather control system functions. When that necessary system fails without warning, the Confederation calls the Shepherd and his team to oversee the relief convoys' escorts. But escort duty isn't their mission for long. Join Alex and Shepherd Security Services as they uncover the heinous secrets behind this not-so-natural disaster.

Grime and punishment . . . When Fergus Macleod, Lochdubh's abusive, drunk dustman is put in charge of the local recycling centre and is dubbed 'Environment Officer', Hamish Macbeth smells trouble. Sure enough, Fergus, imbued with his new powers, becomes a bullying tyrant and when his body is...

To preserve the future, Alex must find the secrets of the past. After a devastating battle, Alex Roth is left with more questions than answers, and—as the Ravener grows more aggressive—he and his companions struggle to learn the truth of Thameland’s Cycle.

July, 1936. As the Queen Mary sets sail across the Atlantic, Alice can't wait for the summer of adventure that lies ahead. She's excited to explore the huge ship, with its shops, animals and even celebrities on board. But while Alice's sailor father focuses on winning a prestigious race, she witnesses a shocking attack. Alice and her new friend Sonny start to uncover a dark sabotage plot, and as they investigate gold bars, anonymous notes and lost silk gloves, secrets in their own lives come to the surface.

“A faithful translation is rare; a translation which preserves intact the original text is very rare; a perfect translation of Montaigne appears impossible. Yet Donald Frame has realized this feat. One does not seem to be reading a translation, so smooth and easy is the style; at each moment, one seems to be listening to Montaigne himself - the freshness of his ideas, the unexpected choice of words. Frame has kept everything.” (Andre Maurois, The New York Times Book Review)

The man known as Cheradenine Zakalwe was one of Special Circumstances' foremost agents, changing the destiny of planets to suit the Culture through intrigue, dirty tricks or military action. The woman known as Diziet Sma had plucked him from obscurity and pushed him towards his present eminence, but despite all their dealings she did not know him as well as she thought. The drone known as Skaffen-Amtiskaw knew both of these people.

After a terrible revelation, Alex Roth must unlearn everything he knows of Thameland and the cycle of the Ravener, all the while hunting for the hidden priests of Uldar’s Rise. As the First Apostle prepares to destroy the Fool, the villain receives an unexpected ally. Meanwhile, Alex himself has received new information about his Mark…information that could utterly change his life-path.

On a school trip to the Royal Swan Natural History Museum, Ava finds herself at the center of a heist: hundreds of invaluable bird of paradise skins from the Alfred Wallace Collection have been stolen! When she discovers a large jet-black feather, she's sure it's a clue, but the police won't listen to her. Slipping away, she takes the case to the Twitchers in an investigation that leads them to the bizarre and sinister world of fly-fishing, and to a mysterious girl with a pet Raven called Caliban and a dangerous ring of thieves and smugglers.

The third Hamish Macbeth crime mystery, from internationally bestselling author M.C.Beaton The most hated man in the most dour town in Scotland is sleeping with the fishes, or - more accurately - has been dumped into a tank filled with crustaceans. All that remains of the murdered victim are his...

Join Meredith & Hodge in the murky world of crime, in this three-book bundle full of mystery, murder and intrigue. With twists you don’t see coming, find out why Meredith & Hodge are the detective duo everyone is talking about.

Dramatisations and readings of EM Forster’s finest works, plus Stephen Wakelam’s radio play A Dose of Fame and the documentary feature Forster in India: Sex, Books and Empire One of the greatest English novelists of the 20th century, EM Forster was also an accomplished short story writer...

In Liverpool, a woman inexplicably leaps to her death. The following morning, two bodies are found on nearby Crosby Beach: a woman tied to a statue, and a man buried up to his neck and left to drown. When a nine-month-old murder case is reopened, DI Sheridan Holler is shocked to uncover family connections between the victim, Daniel Parks, and the three unexplained deaths. With Daniel’s body still missing and the number-one suspect cleared of the crime, Holler’s cold case suddenly becomes a major murder investigation.

‘An immersive and really satisfying mystery’ Faith Martin ‘As an iced drink in a heatwave … These characters and their families feel like old friends. A fantastic addition to the series.’ Fiona Leitch Retired schoolteachers and amateur sleuths Liz, Pat and Thelma have a brand-new...

Murder in Paradise... When Jane Wetherby offers PC Hamish Macbeth a holiday at her 'Happy Wanderer' health farm on the isle of Eileencraig, he is more than happy to accept. Unfortunately the visit doesn't prove to be the pampering experience he had been hoping for. Windswept Eileencraig is...

Blurb I’m just a nerd, standing in front of a bench press, asking it not to humiliate me in front of my gym crush I’ve never walked into a gym on purpose in my life, and I’m not sure which part is more shocking, the massive beefcake who immediately challenges me to arm wrestle or the fact that I kind of want to come back. I spent years of my life refusing to lift anything heavier than a textbook, and it shows. I never expected that coming to the gym and bulking up would give me more gender euphoria than all the T shots in the world.

She's practically perfect in every way! After being nearly killed by both a hired hit man and her former secretary, Agatha Raisin could use some low-key cases. So when Robert Smedley walks through the door of her detective agency, determined to prove that his wife is cheating on him, Raisin...

No wonder she's been crowned Queen of Cosy Crime' Mail on Sunday Amazing news is spreading like wildfire across the Scottish countryside: the most famous of all Lochdubh, remotely nestling in the Highlands, is perfectly anonymous... until well-known TV reporter Crystal French races into town in...