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Books > Fiction > Special features
Nine intriguing tales One unequalled storyteller An unknown wounded man in a church. A fatal riding accident. A corpse and a tape measure. Whether in St Mary Mead or further afield, there is always much wickedness lurking below the surface, should, like Jane Marple, you have the eyes to see it. Published posthumously, this collection of tales, seven of them featuring Agatha Christie's much loved Miss Marple, plus two stand-alone stories, is a treasure trove. Never underestimate Miss Marple 'She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed.' Susan Lewis 'The acknowledged queen of detective fiction.' Observer
Hercule Poirot is determined to solve an old husband and wife double murder that is still an open verdict... Hercule Poirot stood on the cliff-top. Here, many years earlier, there had been a tragic accident. This was followed by the grisly discovery of two more bodies - a husband and wife - shot dead. But who had killed whom? Was it a suicide pact? A crime of passion? Or cold-blooded murder? Poirot delves back into the past and discovers that 'old sin leave long shadows'.
A mysterious stranger appears at a New Year's Eve party, becoming the enigmatic sleuthing sidekick to the snobbish Mr Satterthwaite... So far, it had been a typical New Year's Eve house party. But Mr Satterthwaite - a keen observer of human nature - sensed that the real drama of the evening was yet to unfold. So it proved when a mysterious stranger arrived after midnight. Who was this Mr Quin? And why did his presence have such a pronounced effect on Eleanor Portal, the woman with the dyed-black hair?
Holidays offer us the luxury of getting away from it all. So, in a different way, do detective stories. This collection of vintage mysteries combines both those pleasures. From a golf course at the English seaside to a pension in Paris, and from a Swiss mountain resort to the cliffs of Normandy, this new selection shows the enjoyable and unexpected ways in which crime writers have used summer holidays as a theme. These fourteen stories range widely across the golden age of British crime fiction. Stellar names from the past are well represented - Arthur Conan Doyle and G. K. Chesterton, for instance - with classic stories that have won acclaim over the decades. The collection also uncovers a wide range of hidden gems: Anthony Berkeley - whose brilliance with plot had even Agatha Christie in raptures - is represented by a story so (undeservedly) obscure that even the British Library seems not to own a copy. The stories by Phyllis Bentley and Helen Simpson are almost equally rare, despite the success which both writers achieved, while those by H. C. Bailey, Leo Bruce and the little-known Gerald Findler have seldom been reprinted.
The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation. Socially anxious high school student Shoko Komi's greatest dream is to make some friends, but everyone at school mistakes her crippling social anxiety for cool reserve. Luckily she meets Tadano, a timid wallflower who decides to step out of his comfort zone in order to help her achieve her goal of making 100 friends. Najimi takes the role of Komi's friendship mentor very seriously (sometimes), so when it comes to light that Komi has only made eight new friends this school year, Najimi steps in to remedy the situation. But can the friendly blind date Najimi sets up lead to anything but awkwardness when everyone there has a communication disorder?!
A perplexed girl thinks she might have killed someone... Three single girls shared the same London flat. The first worked as a secretary; the second was an artist; the third who came to Poirot for help, disappeared convinced she was a murderer. Now there were rumours of revolvers, flick-knives and blood stains. But, without hard evidence, it would take all Poirot's tenacity to establish whether the third girl was guilty innocent or insane...
A young drifter finds more than he bargained for when he agrees to deliver a parcel to an English country house... Little did Anthony Cade suspect that a simple errand on behalf of a friend would make him the centrepiece of a murderous international conspiracy. Someone would stop at nothing to prevent the monarchy being restored in faraway Herzoslovakia. The combined forces of Scotland Yard and the French Surete can do no better than go in circles - until the final murder at Chimneys, the great country estate that yields up an amazing secret...
Tommy & Tuppence are hired to track down wartime spies at a seaside resort... It is World War II, and while the RAF struggles to keep the Luftwaffe at bay, Britain faces an even more sinister threat from 'the enemy within' - Nazis posing as ordinary citizens. With pressure mounting, the Intelligence service appoints two unlikely spies, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. Their mission: to seek out a man and a woman from among the colourful guests at Sans Souci, a seaside hotel. But this assignment is no stroll along the promenade. After all, N and M have just murdered Britain's finest agent...
A wealthy family A fatal cup of tea Rex Fortescue was enjoying his morning cup of tea when he met his untimely end. Suspicions naturally turn to his wife. He was filthy rich, after all. Then she too is found dead. Strange clues have Scotland Yard's finest minds scratching their heads. Poisoned marmalade. Dead blackbirds. A victim found with a pocketful of rye. It's up to Jane Marple to put the pieces of this strange puzzle together... Never underestimate Miss Marple 'Captivating and addictive, Agatha Christie's work never fails to delight.' Jean Kwok 'This is the best of the novels starring Christie's Miss Marple.' New York Times
A shocking crime A mansion filled with suspects Ruth Van Rydock can't shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen to her sister at Stonygates house. Her old school friend Jane Marple decides it's time to pay a visit. But this grand Victorian mansion isn't just a family home - it's also a correctional facility for wayward young men. And when something terrible does indeed happen, Miss Marple must face her most eccentric cast of suspects yet. Never underestimate Miss Marple 'If a genius is someone who leaves the field they work in totally different from how they found it, then we should certainly remember Agatha Christie as a genius.' Stephen Fry 'No one on either side of the Atlantic does it better.' New York Times
A selection of mysteries, some light-hearted, some romantic, some very deadly... Twelve tantalizing cases... the curious disappearance of Lord Listerdale; a newlywed's fear of her ex-fiance; a strange encounter on a train; a domestic murder investigation; a wild man's sudden personality change; a retired inspector's hunt for a murderess; a young woman's impersonation of a duchess; a necklace hidden in a basket of cherries; a mystery writer's arrest for murder; an astonishing marriage proposal; a soprano's hatred for a baritone; the case of the rajah's emerald. All have one thing in common: the skilful hand of Agatha Christie.
A flamboyant party host is murdered in full view of a roomful of bridge players... Mr Shaitana was famous as a flamboyant party host. Nevertheless, he was a man of whom everybody was a little afraid. So, when he boasted to Poirot that he considered murder an art form, the detective had some reservations about accepting a party invitation to view Shaitana's private collection. Indeed, what began as an absorbing evening of bridge was to turn into a more dangerous game altogether...
Agatha Christie's seasonal mystery thriller, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers. It is Christmas Eve. The Lee family reunion is shattered by a deafening crash of furniture, followed by a high-pitched wailing scream. Upstairs, the tyrannical Simeon Lee lies dead in a pool of blood, his throat slashed. But when Hercule Poirot, who is staying in the village with a friend for Christmas, offers to assist, he finds an atmosphere not of mourning but of mutual suspicion. It seems everyone had their own reason to hate the old man...
Beasts and Lovers is a wonderful collection of provocative modern fairy tales. Frogs turn inappropriately into princes, an old hag pursued by social services reveals her true identity as a seductive Sheherazade, two brothers are brought face to face with the source of their savage longings, and three generations of secrets and lies are unravelled to reveal a healing truth. The stories explore our deepest fears and the surprising workings of the human heart, and shed light on the mysteries that lie at the roots of our very existence.
"Why do stories come into one's head, or odd names or first lines? Perhaps deep in the brain there is a part that makes things up and they occasionally pop out if the stimulus is right. If nothing else is occupying the mind then the idea can be developed. Most of my poems are written at one sitting, with later tweaks. I use the form to be able to be more adventurous with words and to use the end of lines and the beginning of new ones to highlight a word or re-enforce an idea. Inspiration comes from events or sights or just thoughts. Often one works with a picture in one's head. An illustration therefore is sometimes a natural extension. I hope those included will add rather than detract from the reader's picture."
Young, handsome and fabulously rich, Jay Gatsby appears to have it all, yet he yearns for the one thing that will always be out of his reach, the absence of which renders his life of glittering parties and bright young things ultimately hollow. Glamorous, dangerous, hopeful and desperately in love, Gatsby's naive dreams can only lead to destruction.
"Edith Wharton's first novel, The Valley of Decision, is one of her most important and distinguished novels, yet it has received relatively little (and mostly superficial) attention, in spite of its initial popularity. Set in northern Italy in the late eighteenth century, it concerns the decisions that must be made by Odo Valsecca, a young man of liberal ideas who inherits a dukedom during the years of the French Revolution." -- The Cambridge Companion to Edith Wharton.
In Asgard, Midgard and all of the Marvel-Verse, no hero is mightier than Thor, God of Thunder - and these are the tales that prove him worthy! Banished to Earth by his father Odin, Thor starts a new life, meeting fascinating people like Jane Foster - and battling fearsome foes like Mr. Hyde! Then, as his friendship with Sif and the Warriors Three hangs in the balance of a mystical force, Thor must resist temptation to save his fellow Asgardians! After tragedy strikes, the Thunder God flies into combat against Frost Giants and the gargantuan Ymir! And what will happen when Odin puts feuding brothers Thor and Loki to the test?
Now aware of the memory-altering consequences of getting the Ring removed, Wooseo and Jigeon are stuck at an impasse. But when Wooseo pushes the idea, worried of being a burden, a truth comes out: Jigeon has serious feelings for Wooseo. Realizing they’re both suffering the pain of one-sided love, Wooseo can’t stop thinking about his partner... And Jiseok, fed up with watching his brother and best friend dance around each other, decides to reveal another earth-shattering truth. “I know you have feelings for me, Wooseo.”
Freddy is back - with a twist - in this sinister graphic novel adaptation of the bestselling YA novel Five Nights at Freddy's: The Twisted Ones! It's been a year since the horrific events at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, and Charlie is just trying to move on. Even with the excitement of a new school and a fresh start, she's still haunted by nightmares of a masked murderer and four gruesome animatronic puppets. Charlie thinks her ordeal is over, but when a series of bodies are discovered near her school bearing wounds that are disturbingly familiar she finds herself drawn back into the world of her father's frightening creations. Something twisted is hunting Charlie, and this time if it finds her, it's not letting her go. With electrifying art from Eisner Award-nominated artist Claudia Aguirre, and even more horror than ever before, fans won't want to miss this graphic novel adaptation straight from the mind of Five Nights at Freddy's creator Scott Cawthon.
Four male friends support each other through the colorful ups and downs of teenage love. These four friends couldn't be more different: Natsuki Hashiba, a dreamer who longs for love, Tomoya Matsunaga, a self-centered playboy, Keiichi Katakura, a winsome guy with a hidden saucy streak, and Tsuyoshi Naoe, a socially awkward nerd who loves anime, manga, and games. Together their high school days are as vibrant as rainbows! Natsuki, Tomoya, and Tsuyoshi make progress in their respective romances. A girl confesses her feelings to the recently dumped Keiichi, but is she prepared for his role-playing proclivities?
One of Britain's most enduring comic book heroes returns in two stories reprinted here for the first time! The second collection of the sci-fi classic, the Steel Claw collects writer Tom Tully's first two stories originally published in the comic Valiant between 1963 and 1964. Featuring the stunning, realistic black and white art of Spanish comics' legend Jesus Blasco! |
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