Pattern is only thirteen, but is already rising through the ranks at Mrs Minchin's Academy of Domestic Servitude and seems destined for a life below stairs. But fate intervenes when she is packed off to the small and secretive Duchy of Elffinberg, to serve as lady's maid to the lately orphaned Grand Duchess.Pattern's young new mistress is excitable and paranoid, yet despite their differences the two girls forge an unlikely friendship that quickly turns into a battle for survival. For picture-perfect Elffinberg hides an extremely dark and deadly secret . . .Armed only with her trusty sewing basket, a bottle of smelling salts and J. Bulcock's inestimable guide, The Duties of a Lady's Maid, Pattern will need all her wits and resourcefulness when dealing with above-stairs conspiracies and below-stairs intrigue. Darning stockings has never been so dangerous. Views: 46
The first novel of the Bryant and May mysteries, in which the two detectives, Arthur Bryant and John May, are members of the fictional Peculiar Crimes Unit. _________________________ When a bomb devastates the office of London’s most unusual police unit and claims the life of Arthur Bryant, his partner John May searches for clues to the bomber’s identity. Before long he is on the trail through Blitz-ravaged London and the gothic world of the theatre. Views: 46
The poignant and gripping new saga from the author of the bestselling The Girl by the River and The Boy with No Boots, perfect for fans of Margeret Dickinson and Katie Flynn. Running away from heartache and scandal, Tessa flees Cornwall to London in search of anonymity and freedom. Sleeping rough, scared and suicidal, she contemplates throwing herself in the river. Then she discovers the Samaritans and a volunteer, Dorothy, who patiently listens as Tessa pours out a lifetime of troubles. Inspired by Dorothy, Tessa tries to turn her life around. And when she meets Paul, she feels she has at last found a soulmate. But Paul is not the man he seems. When a tragedy at home calls Tessa back to the countryside she grew up in, her past and present collide. Can she finally find the strength to fulfil her destiny? And who will be waiting to help her begin her journey? Views: 46
The heartbreaking, transcendent novel about inner-city violence new in paperback with a dynamite new cover. Views: 46
The Willows is a resort town run by vampires, werewolves and witches. Here, their true identities are kept secret from humans, and intimate relations between the individual clans are strictly forbidden.Unexpected close encounters, bodies ripe with need, and situations beyond their control lead to forbidden relationships. Now three vampires, a witch, a werewolf and a human must ride along the edges of the rules. They will attempt once unthinkable romantic entanglements despite all those who oppose their relationships, while fighting for their lives as well.With the Willows full of violence and bloodshed, meetings and magic amiss, will the clans ever be able to find peace among them again? Or, will this war destroy the Willows?In Book Two, Isaac and Winter devise a plan to try to get the Elders of the clans talking peacefully. But, things don't go as they'd hoped, and the fighting between the clans becomes more devious - deadly.Now, Devin, another Vampire of Drake's making, steps in... Views: 46
It was a fresh start, and as a recent graduate from the Charleston School of Law, it was a way to pad her resume with a high powered New York Law firm. But most of all, it was away from him. The last thing she needed was another relationship, especially since her devastating break up with her master, Benton Frazier. Burned one too many times, this submissive was ready to put her past behind her. Views: 46
This second volume of Christopher Isherwood's remarkable diaries opens on his fifty-sixth birthday as the fifties give way to the decade of social and sexual revolution. Isherwood takes the reader from the bohemian sunshine of Southern California to a London finally swinging free of post-war gloom, to the racy cosmopolitanism of New York, and the raw Australian outback. He charts his ongoing quest for spiritual certainty under the guidance of his Hindu guru, and reveals in reckless detail the emotional drama of his love for the American painter Don Bachardy, thirty years his junior and struggling to establish his own artistic identity. The diaries are crammed with wicked gossip and probing psychological insights about the cultural icons of the time - Francis Bacon, Richard Burton, Leslie Caron, Marianne Faithfull, David Hockney, Mick Jagger, Hope Lange, W. Somerset Maugham, John Osborne, Vanessa Redgrave, Tony Richardson, David O. Selznick, Igor Stravinsky, Gore... Views: 46
ZEKE (SD #793)MR. JULYNeed Protection?Agent: Zeke DanielsHometown: Harlingen, Texas Nickname: The IntimidatorAssignment: Investigate a drug lord Complication: The man's gorgeous nieceDeclaration of Independence: From the moment I first set eyes on Angie De la Garza, I knew she was trouble. She's unaware I've been sent to bust her uncle; she thinks I've been hired to protect her! Try as I might, I can't keep my hands off her, but what do I need with an innocent like Angie? And now I'm supposed to get her on a plane and out of Mexico? What happens when we get back to the States--and she discovers the truth? Views: 46
Ever since the ash dragon Kavariel killed her sister, fourteen-year-old Carine has hated dragons and the magic they bring.Every year she endures the Festival when the dragon delivers his flame and enchantment to the capital city of Esten. The dragon's flame is powerful. It kills, but also provides magic that keeps the Heartless Ones at bay.Until this year, when the dragon doesn't come.Instead, a Heartless One enters Esten and threatens the safety of Carine's family and beloved city. Forced to leave her parents behind, she joins forces with two princes and sets off on a death-defying journey to save all she holds dear.But when restoring her home means confronting the magical language and dragons she has come to hate, and when unraveled secrets threaten to destroy the world she is trying to save, Carine's only hope is in her enemy... Views: 46
Julia Hunter and Kate Bain have found true happiness with men old enough to be their fathers. Julia organises her husband Hugh and their cherubic twins with ruthless efficiency and Kate has lived with James, for eight years,and although she refuses to marry him, she's apparently devoted to him. Hugh and James, lifelong friends, feel blessed indeed.But age differences cannot be ignored forever and when James accidentally knocks a fiercely independent spinster from her bicycle a chain of events is set off in which many suppressed discontents and frustrations emerge. Kate begins to seek out friends of her own age and Julia's career begins to blossom just as her husband's starts to decline ...The tranquil lives of the men and the girls seem shattered as new relationships develop and old anxieties surface. Views: 46
"This unconventional, sexy tale—featuring a dominant duke with a fondness for rulers—brims with sensuality on every page. If you like a heavy dose of spice in your Regency romance, you'll love DISCIPLINED BY THE DUKE." - Joanna ShupeThe day her sister murdered their abusive father, Elizabeth Wilcox stopped being a gentleman's daughter. Willing to do anything to save her sister from the hangman's noose, now she is a spy... A servant. A liar. A thief. A submissive.Masquerading as a parlor maid and entrenched in the Duke of Montague's estate, Liz is willing to risk all to uncover the secrets that would save her sister. But submitting to the duke's peculiar brand of discipline surprises her with a heady mixture of pleasure and pain. Eager to relinquish control of her messy life, Liz soon craves the rough hands of Montague and his powerful, passionate attentions. Can she succumb to the hot sting of his hand and the gentleness of his kisses without revealing... Views: 46
