The Silent Ones

The Silent Ones

William Brodrick

Mystery / Fiction / Historical

Father Anselm faces the most difficult and troubling case of his life in this newest addition to the ingenious and gripping series.Monk-turned-lawyer-turned-novelist William Brodrick has proven with each new installment of his Father Anselm series that he's the "writer of choice for those who prefer a cerebral challenge with a moral and social message" (Crime Review). In The Silent Ones, Brodrick tackles head-on the topical and sensitive social issue that's become the modern scourge of the Church to create an intricate thriller that's as devastating as it is impactful.Father Anselm is enlisted to trace the missing Father Livermore, an American priest with a troubled past. His disappearance is undoubtedly connected to allegations made against him by the family of eleven-year-old Harry Brandwell, but a mysterious visitor to the Priory urges Father Anselm to find out why Harry is prepared to blame an innocent man. Father Anselm finds himself on the trail of an...
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Dogs

Dogs

Kate Leonard And Jessica Teixeira

Historical / Historical Fiction / Fiction

Ever wanted to know MORE about dogs? Do normal books not tell you enough? Use big words with no explanations? Well, this book is just right for you! In 10 pages it explains facts, breeds and puppies in simple yet clever facts!Ropo is a Nigerian living in North Yorkshire; he has just been covered in toxic waste and become a super hero. Unfortunately for him he is a lizard and it has all come as rather a shock!In this comic short story hear about the birth of a new super hero, even though he is not quite sure exactly what that entails.The story was written to help promote National Short Story Week in a secondary school in England.
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The Splendour Falls

The Splendour Falls

Susanna Kearsley

Historical / Historical Fiction / Romance

Chinon-chateau of legend, steeped in the history of France and England. It is to Chinon that Emily goes on a long-awaited holiday, to meet her charming but unreliable cousin, Harry. Harry wanted to explore the old town and the castle, where Queen Isabelle, child bride of King John, had withstood the siege of Chinon many centuries ago, and where, according to legend, she hid her casket of jewels. But when Emily arrives at her hotel she finds that Harry has disappeared, and as she tries to find him she becomes involved with some of the other guests and learns of a mystery dating from the German occupation during the Second World War. Another Isabelle, a chambermaid at the hotel, fell in love with a German soldier, with tragic results. Emily becomes increasingly aware of strange tensions, old enmities and new loves; as she explores the city, with its labyrinthine dungeons and tunnels and its ancient secrets, she comes ever closer to the mystery of what happened to both the Isabelles of Chinon's history.
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A Sovereign for a Song

A Sovereign for a Song

Annie Wilkinson

Historical / Historical Fiction

A heart-wrenching and nostalgic family saga from the acclaimed author of The Land Girls. Perfect for fans of Katie Flynn and Margaret Dickinson A YOUNG MINER'S DAUGHTER WITH THE VOICE OF AN ANGEL - BUT CAN IT LEAD HER HOME AGAIN? As a poverty-stricken miner's daughter growing up in a small village near Durham, fifteen-year-old Ginny Wilde yearns for adventure. But she gets more than she bargained for when her good looks, fiery spirit and beautiful singing voice catch the eye of the unscrupulous Charlie Parkinson, her employer's brother. Fleeing the wrath of her irate father, after he discovers his daughter's flirtation with the notorious womaniser, Ginny heads for London with Charlie and embarks upon a hugely successful singing career. But with Charlie refusing to marry her, Ginny fears she's just one of many girls to have fallen for his charms, and her life quickly begins to spiral out of control. Will she find the courage to leave Charlie and...
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The Poet Prince

The Poet Prince

Kathleen McGowan

Historical / Historical Fiction / Fiction

The Son of Man shall choose When the time returns for the Poet Prince. He will inspire the hearts and minds of the people So as to illuminate the path of service And show them the Way. This is his legacy, This, and to know a very great love. Worldwide controversy surrounds author Maureen Paschal as she promotes her new bestseller—the explosive account of her discovery of a gospel written in Jesus’ own hand. But a scandalous headline about her lover, Bérenger Sinclair, shatters Maureen’s plans and sends her to Florence. In Tuscany, Maureen and Bérenger seek out their spiritual teacher Destino, who insists the besieged couple study one of history’s great Poet Princes: Lorenzo de’ Medici, the godfather of the Italian Renaissance. Bérenger is a Poet Prince of the ancient bloodline prophecy, and even across the centuries, his fate is intertwined with Lorenzo de’ Medici’s. Bérenger must uncover the heretical secrets of the Medici family—and the shocking truth behind the birth of the Renaissance—if he is to fulfill his own destiny. These heretical secrets were hidden for a reason, and there are those who would stop at nothing to prevent Bérenger’s assumption of his rightful role. The Renaissance comes vividly to life as Maureen decodes the clues contained within the great masterpieces of Lorenzo the Magnificent’s friends: Donatello, Botticelli, and Michelangelo. Maureen uncovers truths connected to the legend of Longinus Gaius, the Roman centurion who used pierced the crucified Jesus with his spear. Could Longinus Gaius, doomed to live forever, be someone she knows? Could his infamous Spear of Destiny, sought even by Hitler, be the key to Bérenger’s fate? As Maureen and Bérenger race to find the answers, someone is after them, hell-bent on settling a five-hundred-year old blood feud and destroying the heresy once and for all.
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The Missing Page

The Missing Page

Cat Sebastian

Romance / Historical

England, 1948: Semi-retired spy Leo Page and country doctor James Sommers team up to solve a decades-old mystery. When James learns that an uncle he hasn't heard from in ages has left him something in his will, he figures that the least he can do is head down to Cornwall for a weekend to honor the old man's parting wishes. He finds the family home filled with half-remembered guests and unwanted memories, but more troubling is that his uncle has tasked his heirs with uncovering the truth behind a woman's disappearance twenty years earlier. Leo doesn't like any of it. He's just returned from one of his less pleasant missions and maybe he's slightly paranoid about James's safety, but he's of the opinion that rich people aren't to be trusted where wills are concerned. So he does what any sensible spy would do and infiltrates the house party. Together they unravel a mystery that exposes long-standing family secrets and threatens to involve...
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Outside Beauty

Outside Beauty

Cynthia Kadohata

Young Adult / Historical / Historical Fiction

"My mother had four daughters by four different men." There's only one way Shelby and her sisters can describe their mother: She's a sexpot. Helen Kimura collects men (and loans, spending money, and gifts of all kinds) from all over the country. Sure, she's not your typical role model, but she's also not just a pretty face and nail polish. She is confident and brave; she lives life on her own terms, and her four daughters simply adore her. These girls have been raised outside the traditional boundaries. They know how to take the back exit. They know how to dodge crazed lovers in highway car chases. They do not, however, know how to function without one another. Then suddenly they must. A late-night phone call unexpectedly shreds the family apart, catapulting the girls across the country to live with their respective fathers. But these strong-willed sisters are, like their mother, determined to live life on their own terms, and what they do to pull their family back together is nothing short of beautiful. At turns wickedly funny and insistently thought-provoking, Outside Beauty showcases Cynthia Kadohata's unerring ability to explore the bonds that bind.
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Unveiling the Past

Unveiling the Past

Kim Vogel Sawyer

Christian Fiction / Historical / Historical Fiction

Mysteries, family secrets, and the love of a true Father are found at the heart of this gripping novel from the best-selling author of Bringing Maggie HomeNewlyweds Sean Eagle and Meghan DeFord are no strangers to pain and loss. As cold-case detectives, they know intimately the anguish family members endure after the murder or disappearance of a loved one. But when a new case hits too close to home, it threatens to pull loose the fragile cords of their young marriage. Sheila Menke was just a girl when her father left for work and never returned. An investigation revealed he had embezzled enough to start a new life elsewhere, but Sheila could never accept the court's criminalization of her father. Meghan reluctantly takes the case, secretly fearing it will stir up buried feelings about her own biological father. And while Sean investigates the mysterious death of two young brothers, he longs to start a family. But Meghan worries that with a...
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The Woman in the Dunes

The Woman in the Dunes

Kōbō Abe

Historical / Historical Fiction / Fiction

The Woman in the Dunes, by celebrated writer and thinker Kobo Abe, combines the essence of myth, suspense and the existential novel. After missing the last bus home following a day trip to the seashore, an amateur entomologist is offered lodging for the night at the bottom of a vast sand pit. But when he attempts to leave the next morning, he quickly discovers that the locals have other plans. Held captive with seemingly no chance of escape, he is tasked with shoveling back the ever-advancing sand dunes that threaten to destroy the village. His only companion is an odd young woman. Together their fates become intertwined as they work side by side at this Sisyphean task.
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The Emperor's Ostrich

The Emperor's Ostrich

Julie Berry

Young Adult / Historical / Historical Fiction

A classic madcap romp of a fantasy adventure from the author of The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place. Young dairymaid Begonia has lost her cow, Alfalfa. So she has set off on a search across the countryside even though she has nothing but a magical map to guide her. Along the way she meets a mother and baby, a woodcutter, a very dirty young man, and an eight-foot ostrich. Meanwhile, the Emperor has gone missing from the royal palace in a most mysterious manner. Was it murder? Was it magic? It will take all of Begonia’s wits to save the empire and get Alfalfa home safely.
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