A Times Crime Novel of the Year, the perfect murder mystery read for fans of Richard Osman and Elly Griffiths In the second instalment of Lynne Truss's joyfully quirky crime series, our trio of detectives must investigate the murder of a hapless romantic; an aristocratic con man on the prowl; and a dodgy Brighton nightspot... It is summer in Brighton and the Brighton Belles are on hand to answer any holidaymaker’s queries, no matter how big or small. The quickest way to the station, how many pebbles are on the beach and what exactly has happened to that young man lying in the deckchair with blood dripping from him? Constable Twitten has a hunch that the fiendish murder may be connected to a notorious Brighton nightspot and the family that run it, but Inspector Steine is – as ever – distracted by other issues, not least having his own waxwork model made, while Sergeant Brunswick is just delighted to have spied an opportunity to finally be allowed to go undercover… Our incomparable team of detectives are back for another outing in the second instalment of Lynne Truss's joyfully quirky crime series.

***Shortlisted for the Comedy Women in Print Prize 2021*** THE ACCLAIMED MURDER MYSTERY FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, PERFECT FOR FANS OF RICHARD OSMAN 'Funny, clever, charming, imaginative and nostalgic' The Times 'Terrific' Mail on Sunday 'A giddy spell of sheer delight' Daily Mail The August bank holiday is approaching and after two extremely high-profile murder cases, Constable Twitten is eagerly anticipating a quiet spell at work. But then they find the bodies – and the milk bottles. Three seemingly unconnected victims – a hard-working AA patrolman, a would-be Beauty Queen, a catty BBC radio personality – have all been killed with the same, highly unusual murder weapon. Constable Twitten, Sergeant Brunswick and Inspector Steine are initially baffled, the town is alarmed, and the local newspaper is delighted: after all, what sells papers better than a killer on the loose? Can our redoubtable trio solve the case and catch this most curious of killers before they strike again? 'The glorious return of Constable Twitten is a cause for celebration... the fun is in Truss's keen ear for dialogue, original comic characters and affectionate(ish) recreation of a seaside resort in its slightly sleazy heyday' Sunday Times Crime Club

Guardian Crime Book of the Month WINNER OF THE CRIMEFEST LAST LAUGH AWARD _______________ 'A giddy spell of sheer delight' Daily Mail 'Ingenious ' Sunday Times Crime Club Brighton, 1957. Inspector Steine rather enjoys his life as a policeman by the sea. No criminals, no crime, no stress. So it’s really rather annoying when an ambitious new constable shows up to work and starts investigating a series of burglaries. And it’s even more annoying when, after Constable Twitten is despatched to the theatre for the night, he sits next to a vicious theatre critic who is promptly shot dead part way through the opening night of a new play. It seems Brighton may be in need of a police force after all… A sparkling historical mystery set in sunny Sussex by the sea, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood and Elly Griffiths. _______________ 'Entertaining' Observer 'Will make you laugh out loud' Sunday Times 'Truss can work miracles' Telegraph

*THE BRAND NEW MURDER MYSTERY FOR FANS OF RICHARD OSMAN* 'Another delectable crime story... While between the covers of her books, the world seems a better place' The Times 'A giddy spell of sheer delight!' Praise for the Constable Twitten Series, Daily Mail In the latest installment of this prize-winning crime mystery series, our trio of redoubtable detectives are faced with the arrival in town of an escaped convict... It's September in Brighton and the town is playing host to weeks of endless rain and lashings of villainy. A trusted member of a local gang has disappeared part way through planning a huge heist; a violent criminal obsessed with hunting policemen has escaped Broadmoor and is rumoured to be headed towards the town, while at Gosling's department store an American researcher has been found dead in the music section. Inspector Steine has other things on his mind as he typically bathes in unearned glory, but Sergeant Brunswick and Constable 'Clever Clogs' Twitten are both on the case. If only they could work out just who is behind these dastardly acts... 'Glorious... The fun is in Truss's keen ear for dialogue, original comic characters and affectionate recreation of a seaside resort' Praise for the Constable Twitten Series, Sunday Times Crime Club 'Outstanding. In her ability to blend crime and farce, Truss is in a class of her own' Publishers Weekly DISCOVER THE AWARD-WINNING CONSTABLE TWITTEN MYSTERY SERIES NOW

***Shortlisted for the Comedy Women in Print Prize 2021*** THE ACCLAIMED MURDER MYSTERY FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, PERFECT FOR FANS OF RICHARD OSMAN 'Funny, clever, charming, imaginative and nostalgic' The Times 'Terrific' Mail on Sunday 'A giddy spell of sheer delight' Daily Mail The August bank holiday is approaching and after two extremely high-profile murder cases, Constable Twitten is eagerly anticipating a quiet spell at work. But then they find the bodies - and the milk bottles. Three seemingly unconnected victims - a hard-working AA patrolman, a would-be Beauty Queen, a catty BBC radio personality - have all been killed with the same, highly unusual murder weapon. Constable Twitten, Sergeant Brunswick and Inspector Steine are initially baffled, the town is alarmed, and the local newspaper is delighted: after all, what sells papers better than a killer on the loose? Can our redoubtable trio solve the case and catch this most curious of killers before they strike again? 'The glorious return of Constable Twitten is a cause for celebration... the fun is in Truss's keen ear for dialogue, original comic characters and affectionate(ish) recreation of a seaside resort in its slightly sleazy heyday' Sunday Times Crime Club

Anxious about the apostrophe? Confused by the comma? Stumped by the semicolon? Join Lynne Truss on a hilarious tour through the rules of punctuation that is sure to sort the dashes from the hyphens. We all had the basic rules of punctuation drilled into us at school, but punctuation pedants have good reason to suspect they never sank in. 'Its Summer!' screams a sign that sets our teeth on edge. 'Pansy's ready', we learn to our considerable interest ('Is she?') as we browse among the bedding plants. It is not only the rules of punctuation that have come under attack but also a sense of why they matter. In this runaway bestseller, Lynne Truss takes the fight to emoticons and greengrocers' apostrophes with a war cry of 'Sticklers unite!'

One of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World' 'Brilliant ... very probably the funniest book ever written' Sunday Times When sensible, sophisticated Flora Poste is orphaned at nineteen, she decides her only choice is to descend upon relatives in deepest Sussex. At the aptly-named Cold Comfort Farm, she meets the doomed Starkadders: cousin Judith, heaving with remorse for unspoken wickedness; Amos, preaching fire and damnation; their sons, lustful Seth and despairing Reuben; child of nature Elfine; and crazed old Aunt Ada Doom, who has kept to her bedroom for the last twenty years. But Flora loves nothing better than to organise other people. Armed with common sense and a strong will, she resolves to take each of the family in hand. A hilarious and ruthless parody of rural melodramas and purple prose, Cold Comfort Farm is one of the best-loved comic novels of all time. 'Screamingly funny and wildly subversive' Marian Keyes, Guardian The Penguin Classics edition of Stella Gibbons's Cold Comfort Farm is introduced by Lynne Truss, author of Eats, Shoots and Leaves. If you enjoyed Cold Comfort Farm you might like George and Weedon Grossmith's Diary of a Nobody, also available in Penguin Classics.

**FEATURED IN THE TIKTOK BOOKCLUB** 'In Persuasion, Jane Austen picks up the pen to tell us who we are and what we want' Independent Eight years ago Anne Elliot bowed to pressure from her family and made the decision not to marry the man she loved, Captain Wentworth. Now circumstances have conspired to bring him back into her social circle and Anne finds her old feelings for him reignited. However, when they meet again Wentworth behaves as if they are strangers and seems more interested in her friend Louisa. In this, her final novel, Jane Austen tells the story of a love that endures the tests of time and society with humour, insight and tenderness. WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY LYNNE TRUSS VINTAGE CLASSICS AUSTEN SERIES - all six of Jane Austen's major novels, beautifully designed and introduced by our finest contemporary writers.

Young and young-at-heart sticklers, unite! Lynne Truss and illustrator Bonnie Timmons provide hilarious proof that punctuation really does matter.

Illuminating the comical confusion the lowly comma can cause, this new edition of "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" uses lively, subversive illustrations to show how misplacing or leaving out a comma can change the meaning of a sentence completely.

This picture book is sure to elicit gales of laughteraand better punctuationafrom all who read it.

"Talk to the hand, 'coz the face ain't listening " This expression has become so widespread that Lynne Truss need not even mention the name of the TV talk show where you first heard it. It's a perfect example of how boorish behavior has become a point of pride in society today. "Talk to the hand"? when did the world stop wanting to hear? When did society stop valuing basic courtesy and respect? In the spirit of her runaway hit, #1 "New York Times" bestseller "Eats, Shoots and Leaves," Lynne Truss analyzes the apparent collapse of manners in our daily lives, and tells us what we can do about it.

Why are our dealings with strangers becoming more unpleasant day by day? When did "please" and "thank you" become pass When did the words "hello," "good-bye," and "good morning" fall out of common usage? Why do people behave as if public spaces are their own chip-strewn living rooms? "Talk to the Hand" is a rallying cry for a return to civility in our "eff off" society and a colorful call to arms? from the wittiest defender of the civilized world. BACKCOVER: The Queen of Sticklers takes on the sorry state of modern manners.
"Without knocking anyone down on your way, hurry to the bookstore for a copy of "Talk to the Hand"? Long live the Queen of Zero Tolerance. And heaven help the rest of us."
?"The New York Times Book Review"
"Yes, people are now ruder than ever, and no, there's no excuse for it: The outraged and slighted can find solace in "Talk to the Hand.""
?"New York Post"
"Lynne Truss is "the Doyenne of Do's and Don'ts."
?"Newsday"
"The hilarious British fusspot is back with "Talk to the Hand"? in which she trains her zero tolerance wit on rude behavior, from the death of thank-you notes to the ubiquity of the F- word."
?"Glamour"
"She's cranky, she's articulate, and she's absolutely right. Just as she fomented a revolution in language, now she foments a revolution in behavior. You'll find yourself nodding in agreement; then you'll find yourself speaking up."
?Victoria Skurnick, Editor-in-Chief, "Book-of-the-Month Club"
"She can make 201 pages fly by as you snicker and chuckle, recognizing your own modern world in every paragraph. ...] Reading "Talk to the Hand," you can enjoy a good laugh to offset the daily rudeness."
?"The Kentucky Herald-Leader"

A Times Crime Novel of the Year In the second instalment of Lynne Truss's joyfully quirky crime series, our trio of detectives must investigate the murder of a hapless romantic; an aristocratic con man on the prowl; and a dodgy Brighton nightspot... It is summer in Brighton and the Brighton Belles are on hand to answer any holidaymaker's queries, no matter how big or small. The quickest way to the station, how many pebbles are on the beach and what exactly has happened to that young man lying in the deckchair with blood dripping from him? Constable Twitten has a hunch that the fiendish murder may be connected to a notorious Brighton nightspot and the family that run it, but Inspector Steine is - as ever - distracted by other issues, not least having his own waxwork model made and an unexpected arrival, while Sergeant Brunswick is just delighted to have spied an opportunity to finally be allowed to go undercover... Our incomparable team of detectives are back for another outing in the new instalment of Lynne Truss's joyfully quirky crime series. Murder by Milk Bottle, the third in the Constable Twitten series, publishes in July 2020 and is available for pre-order now.

The punctuation workout for sticklers and rookies alike. The punctuation panda is back! Armed with a permanent marker, a smidgen of confidence, and a copy of 'Can You Eat, Shoot and Leave?', everyone now has the chance to become a member of the punctuation elite. Established punctuation sticklers: Fine-tune existing skills, taking guilty pleasure from testing your (already somewhat unsettling) seventh sense. Confused novices: Never again inflict flawed and perplexing punctuation on your innocent readers. The only official workbook for the international bestseller 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves.' Introductory Cosmo-style questionnaire helps readers identify their level of punctuation prowess. Mirrors the structure and light-hearted style of Lynne Truss's hugely popular 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves'. Topics include apostrophes, commas, colons and semicolons, hyphens and more. Each chapter concentrates on one particular punctuation mark. Origin, usage rules and their exceptions introduce the entertaining activities which have a 'challenge-yourself' format. The bite-sized exercises in each chapter and longer texts in 'The Final Challenge' put punctuation skills to the test.

A bona fide publishing phenomenon, Lynne Trussas now classic #1 "New York Times" bestseller "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" makes its paperback debut after selling over 3 million copies worldwide in hardcover.

We all know the basics of punctuation. Or do we? A look at most neighborhood signage tells a different story. Through sloppy usage and low standards on the Internet, in e-mail, and now text messages, we have made proper punctuation an endangered species.

In "Eats, Shoots & Leaves," former editor Truss dares to say, in her delightfully urbane, witty, and very English way, that it is time to look at our commas and semicolons and see them as the wonderful and necessary things they are. This is a book for people who love punctuation and get upset when it is mishandled. From the invention of the question mark in the time of Charlemagne to George Orwell shunning the semicolon, this lively history makes a powerful case for the preservation of a system of printing conventions that is much too subtle to be mucked about with. BACKCOVER: Praise for Lynne Truss and "Eats, Shoots & Leaves":
"Eats, Shoots & Leaves" amakes correct usage so cool that you have to admire Ms. Truss.a
aJanet Maslin, "The New York Times"
aWitty, smart, passionate.a
a"Los Angeles Times Book Review," Best Books Of 2004: Nonfiction
aWho knew grammar could be so much fun?a
a"Newsweek"
aWitty and instructive. . . . Truss is an entertaining, well-read scold in a culture that could use more scolding.a
a"USA Today" aTruss is William Safire crossed with John Cleeseas Basil Fawlty.a
a"Entertainment Weekly"
aLynne Truss has done the English-speaking world a huge service.a
a"The Christian Science Monitor"
aThis book changed my life in small, perfect ways like learning how to make better coffee or fold an omelet. Itas the perfect gift for anyone who cares about grammar and a gentle introduction for those who donat care enough.a
a"The Boston Sunday Globe"
aLynne Truss makes [punctuation] a joy to contemplate.a
a"Elle"
aIf Lynne Truss were Roman Catholic Iad nominate her for sainthood.a aFrank McCourt, author of "Angelaas Ashes"
aTrussas scholarship is impressive and never dry.a
aEdmund Morris, "The New York Times Book Review"

Stella Gibbons' novel is a wickedly funny portrait of British rural life in the 1930s. Flora, a recently orphaned socialite, moves in with her country relatives, the gloomy Starkadders of Cold Comfort Farm.A Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition with French flaps, rough front, and luxurious packagingFeatures an introduction from Lynne Truss and cover illustrations by Roz Chast

In this brilliant transatlantic survival guide, Erin Moore examines the key differences between the British and the Americans through their language. You'll discover why Americans give - and take - so many bloody compliments and never, ever say 'shall' (well hardly ever), as well as what the British really mean when they say 'proper', why they believe it is better to be bright than clever and how the word sorry has at least eight different meanings for them.

Just as the use of commas was hilariously demystified in "Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!," now Lynne Truss and Bonnie Timmons put their talents together to do the same for apostrophes. Everyone needs to know where to put an apostrophe to make a word plural or possessive (Are those sticky things your brotheras or your brothers?) and leaving one out of a contraction can give someone the completely wrong impression (Were here to help you).

Full of silly scenes that show how apostrophes make a difference, too, this is another picture book that will elicit bales of laughter and better punctuation from all who read it.

By acclaimed storyteller Lynne Truss, author of the bestselling Eats, Shoots and Leaves, the mesmerising tale of a cat with nine lives, and a relationship as ancient as time itself and just as powerful. The scene: a cottage on the coast on a windy evening. Inside, a room with curtains drawn. Tea has just been made. A kettle still steams. Under a pool of yellow light, two figures face each other across a kitchen table. A man and a cat. The story about to be related is so unusual yet so terrifyingly plausible that it demands to be told in a single sitting. The man clears his throat, and leans forward, expectant. 'Shall we begin?' says the cat ...

*THE BRAND NEW MURDER MYSTERY FOR FANS OF RICHARD OSMAN* 'Another delectable crime story... While between the covers of her books, the world seems a better place' The Times 'A giddy spell of sheer delight!' Praise for the Constable Twitten Series, Daily Mail In the latest installment of this prize-winning crime mystery series, our trio of redoubtable detectives are faced with the arrival in town of an escaped convict... It's September in Brighton and the city is playing host to weeks of endless rain and lashings of villainy. A trusted member of a local gang has disappeared part way through planning a huge heist; a violent criminal obsessed with hunting policemen has escaped Broadmoor and is rumoured to be headed towards the city, while at Gosling's department store an American researcher has been found dead in the music section. Inspector Steine has other things on his mind - since the triumphant conclusion to his last case, Steine has so many awards and invitations coming his way that he has had to take on a secretary - but Sergeant Brunswick and Constable 'Clever Clogs' Twitten are both on the case. If only they could work out just who is behind these dastardly acts... 'Glorious... The fun is in Truss's keen ear for dialogue, original comic characters and affectionate recreation of a seaside resort' Praise for the Constable Twitten Series, Sunday Times Crime Club 'Outstanding. In her ability to blend crime and farce, Truss is in a class of her own' Publishers Weekly DISCOVER THE PRIZE-WINNING CONSTABLE TWITTEN MYSTERY SERIES NOW

From the bestselling author of 'Eats Shoots & Leaves', a wonderfully funny collection of twelve monologues. In the tradition of Alan Bennett's 'Talking Heads' come Lynne Truss's twelve bittersweet tales about love, romance, friendship and family. Her six men and six women each have very different stories to tell, ranging from the wife who feels better when her husband disappears to the pedant who undergoes a TV makeover and the swimmer who can't escape the shadow of her sister...but all are funny, touching and as beautifully observed as would be expected from the bestselling author. Whether describing fathers and daughters, married men, cat-lovers or 'other women', she is always brilliantly perceptive.

Set in wartime Highgate, Westwood tells the story of Margaret Steggles, a plain bookish girl whose mother has told her that she is 'not the type that attracts men.' What she lacks for in looks she makes up for with a romantic nature and cultural aspirations. By contrast, Margaret's best friend, Hilda, has a sunny temperament and is effortlessly attractive.
When Margaret finds a ration book in Hampstead Health the playwright Gerard Challis enters both their lives. Challis is delighted with his own work and lines such as, 'Suffering is the anvil upon which the crystal sword of integrity is hammered'. He has no use for humour. Margaret slavishly adores Challis and his artistic circle; Challis idolizes Hilda for her hair, her eyes and Hilda find's Gerard's romantic overtures a bit of a bind. This is a delightful wistful tale of romantic entanglements and self-reliance.

**FEATURED IN THE TIKTOK BOOKCLUB** 'In Persuasion, Jane Austen picks up the pen to tell us who we are and what we want' Independent Eight years ago Anne Elliot bowed to pressure from her family and made the decision not to marry the man she loved, Captain Wentworth. Now circumstances have conspired to bring him back into her social circle and Anne finds her old feelings for him reignited. However, when they meet again Wentworth behaves as if they are strangers and seems more interested in her friend Louisa. In this, her final novel, Jane Austen tells the story of a love that endures the tests of time and society with humour, insight and tenderness.