In 1904, at the age of six, Polly goes to live with her two holy aunts. The house is so close to the sea it seems to toss like a ship, and so isolated, Polly might be marooned on an island. There she lives for 81 years, while the century rages around her and Victorian order becomes nuclear dread.

SACRED LAND will enable you to discover the hidden secrets and meaning of the landscape around you, town or country, modern or old, wherever you live in Britain. There has been a dramatic growth in interest in our own history, buildings, landscape, sacred places, beliefs and culture over the last few years and this book will equip you with the tools to unlock the meaning, stories and history that are literally embedded into our landscape. It takes us from street names to churches; from hill forts to burial mounds; from the way a road bends to the shapes of fields in order to understand better the land that lies beneath our feet. In the literal shape of our countryside can be detected the eddies of time, politics, belief, warfare, passion and the durability of the human existence. SACRED LAND is a fascinating, accessible read and the perfect reference guide to have in your home or in your car. It will be of interest to all those people who love history, sacred places and sacred history, and people who like to explore their ancestry and roots.

Inspector Singh is sick of sick leave, so when Mrs Singh suggests they attend a family wedding in Mumbai, he grudgingly agrees — hoping that the spicy Indian curries will make up for extended exposure to his wife's relatives. Unfortunately, the beautiful bride-to-be disappears on the eve of her wedding — did she run away to avoid an arranged marriage, or is there something more sinister afoot? When a corpse is found, the fat inspector is soon dragged into a curious murder investigation with very firm instructions from Mrs Singh to exonerate her family. But as he uncovers layer upon layer of deceit, he knows it isn't going to be that easy...

In the February of the year of our Lord 1141, men march home from war to Shrewsbury, but the captured Sheriff Gilbert Prestcote is not among them. Elis, a young Welsh prisoner, is, and he is delivered to the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul to begin a tale that will test Brother Cadfael's sense of justice... and his heart. By good fortune, it seems, the prisoner can be exchanged as Sheriff Prestcote's ransom. What none expects is that good-natured Elis will be struck down by Cupid's arrow. The sherrif's own daughter holds him in thrall, and she too, is blind with passion. Now regaining her father means losing her lover. But then the sheriff ailing and frail, is brought to the abbey's infirmary and murdered there. Suspicion falls on the prisoner, who only has his Welsh honour to gain Brother Cadfael's help. And Cadfael gives it, not knowing the truth will be a trial for his own soul.

As the countdown to Mma Makutsi's wedding begins, all is not as it should be at the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency. While investigating unpleasant occurrences on a southern cattle-post, Mma Ramotswe, always on the side of the weak against the strong, has reason to reflect on Rule No.3 of The Principles of Private Detection: never lie to the client. Apprentice mechanic Charlie seems to be avoiding certain important responsibilities. And as Mma Makutsi's big day approaches, her nemesis Violet Sephotho is casting her net wider: by standing for election which could spell trouble for the entire nation. But as friends and family gather under starry African night skies, it turns out that even the most perplexing of apparitions — and the most shocking of crimes — may yield to rational explanation. And, of course, to Mma Ramotswe's inimitable way with love, intuition and redbush tea.

Half dragon, half woman, can she save her friend's soul — without losing her heart? Mercy Wilson is a reporter in the San Francisco Bay Area, but she's also more — and less — than human. Half woman, half air dragon, she's a draman — unable to shift shape but still able to unleash fiery energy. Now something will put her powers to the test. Mercy's friend Rainey has enlisted her help to solve her sister's murder. Then a horrible accident claims Rainey's life, leaving Mercy only five days to find the killer. If Mercy fails, according to dragon law, Rainey's soul will be doomed to roam the earth for eternity. But how can Mercy help when she herself is a target? With nowhere else to turn, she must join forces with a sexy stranger — the mysterious man they call muerte, or death itself, who's as irresistible as he is treacherous. But can even Death keep Mercy alive for long enough to find her answers?

Kate may have defeated her boyfriend's nemesis, showing off her sword skills in the process, but Vincent is sure that she will be at risk as long as they stay together. What's more, it's becoming clear that their relationship might prevent him from fulfilling his true purpose: saving the lives of others. They might have the romance of the century, but will that be enough?

A breathtaking new vision of a legendary tale. Snow White is the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen who is out to destroy her. But in a twist to the fairytale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed becomes her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.

America Pacifica is an island hundreds of miles off the coast of California — the only warm place left in a world in the grip of a new ice age. Darcy Pern is seventeen; her mother has gone missing, and the novel details her quest to find out the truth about her disappearance — a quest which soon becomes an investigation of the disturbing origins of America Pacifica itself, and its sinister and reclusive leader, a man known only as Tyson. America Pacifica invites comparison with the work of Margaret Atwood and China Mieville, but also with Cormac McCarthy's The Road, for its post-apocalyptic scenario and the touching relationship between Darcy and her mother, and the Stieg Larsson trilogy for its implacable central character who is determined to uncover the truth.

Petite Chinese-Canadian accountant Ava Lee is not quite what she seems. Ava is a specialist at recovering stolen money — through any means necessary. With razor-sharp intelligence and unorthodox rules of engagement, Ava works for a Hong Kong-based 'Uncle'. She's also the person the impossibly wealthy turn to when their money goes missing. Employed to track down $5 million for a family friend, Ava's investigation begins a journey that takes her to the US, Hong Kong, Bangkok, the British Virgin Islands and Guyana — a place where Ava may finally have met her match. For anyone missing Lisbeth Salander, meet the very brilliant Ava Lee — a heroine for our times.

A child falls into the river. A stranger jumps in to rescue him. And four lives are changed for ever... On a perfect summer's day in Paris, tourists on the river watch in shock as a small boy falls into the Seine and disappears below the surface. As his mother stands frozen, a stranger takes a breath and leaps... From the internationally bestselling author of Since I Don't Have You comes a spellbinding story of passion, heartbreak and destiny — an unforgettable novel about mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the extraordinary ways that life and love intersect.

Ruby Jones just needed to relax and take a holiday. She made a bad decision when she headed for Goa... Famed for beaches and full moon parties, Goa is also home to one of the most famous Christian shrines in Asia — St. Francis Xavier, his body still miraculously intact after five hundred years. But when the head of the saint is stolen, Ruby discovers there's a lot more going missing in Goa than the head of the famous saint, and beyond the palm-fringed beaches is a world of smuggling, corruption and crime. The weather is balmy, the sea is warm, but Ruby can't play at being tourist when her journalist instincts are twitching. And soon she finds herself at the centre of a lethal world turning in on itself — with deadly consequences.

I first met my demon the morning that Mum said Dad had gone. Alex Broccoli is ten years old, likes onions on toast, and can balance on the back legs of his chair for fourteen minutes. His best friend is a 9000-year-old demon called Ruen. When his depressive mother attempts suicide yet again, Alex meets child psychiatrist Anya. Still bearing the scars of her own daughter's battle with schizophrenia, Anya fears for Alex's mental health and attempts to convince him that Ruen doesn't exist. But as she runs out of medical proof for many of Alex's claims, she is faced with a question: does Alex suffer from schizophrenia, or can he really see demons?

Who do you trust when you can no longer trust your own mind? A state school girl at a prestigious music school, Emma is determined to excel. Then the impossibly chic twins, confident Sophie and quieter Matilde, come crashing into her life. Surrounding her with champagne and parties, they demand Emma's full attention. Struggling to balance it all, the girls are plunged into insomnia and bitter rivalry. And then shy Matilde commits suicide. Shockingly, her identical twin Sophie flourishes even more. But strange things are happening to Emma: missing time, waking up in strange places, bizarre dreams. Something, or someone, is consuming Emma's mind. Terrified, Emma begins to doubt everything and everyone around her, especially the beautiful Sophie...

You've finished Fifty Shades... Now treat yourself to Silken Bonds this Christmas. Christmas is never a good time to break up with someone but Tamzin has had enough of Tim; he isn't man enough for her. Bored and frustrated, Tamzin agrees to attend a Christmas party hosted by a colleague, unaware of how out of hand things will get. Tamzin discovers startling things about her desires — and she wants to learn more. When she hears about a very special hotel that caters for all tastes, Tamzin knows she must stay there. It is at Cheveral Court that Tamzin encounters Guy, a man like no other she's ever met before. Will he be the one to take her to the edge?

Scarlett O'Brien, utterly addicted to romantic films, has found her leading man. She's convinced Sean is Mr Right, but the day-to-day reality of a relationship isn't quite like the movies. With Sean constantly away on business, Scarlett and her new best friend Oscar decide to head to New York for the holiday of a lifetime. From one famous landmark to the next, Scarlett and Oscar make many new friends during their adventure — including sailors in town for Fleet Week, a famous film star, and Jamie & Max, a TV reporter and cameraman. Scarlett finds herself strangely drawn to Jamie, they appear to have much in common: a love of films and Jamie's search for a parent he never knew. But Scarlett has to ask herself why she is reacting like this to another man when she's so in love with Sean...

Asta Looney (yes, she's heard all the jokes) is a prodigal daughter, returning to the small Irish town she ran fled as a teenager. Sent home by her boss to research a magazine story, Asta brings Kitty, the daughter she's raising single handedly, to meet her large and noisy family for the first time. Ireland has a few surprises up its sleeve for Asta. Her relatives want answers about why she stayed away so long, and the new owner of the Big House, a runaway just like her and handsome with it, seems to have his eye on her. Asta's family is cracking up. Can she help to heal the rifts, or will the explosive secret she takes home with her blow them apart for ever?

Within the pages of very rare books, some centuries old, lie the secrets of the paranormal. Abby Radwell's unusual psychic talent has made her an expert in such volumes — and sometimes has taken her into dangerous territory. After a deadly incident in the private library of an obsessive collector, Abby receives a blackmail threat, and rumours swirl that an old alchemical text known as The Key has reappeared on the black market. Convinced she needs an investigator who can also play bodyguard, she hires Sam Coppersmith, an expert in paranormal crystals and amber. Passion flares immediately between them, though neither entirely trusts the other. But when it comes to dealing with a killer with paranormal talents — and a blackmailer who will stop at nothing to obtain an ancient alchemical code — no one is safe.

Struck by Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal follows the story of outcast high school senior Carson Phillips who blackmails the most popular students into contributing to his literary journal to bolster his college application; his goal in life is to get into Northwestern and eventually become the editor of The New Yorker. At once laugh-out-loud funny, deliciously dark, and remarkably smart, Struck by Lightning unearths the dirt that lies just below the surface of high school. The major motion picture Struck by Lightning features Colfer's own original screenplay and stars Allison Janney, Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney, and Colfer in leading roles.

They came for me in November nineteen fifty-one and took me to Mokotow prison. Cambridge, the present day. And out of the past, a cry for help: Father Anselm, the brilliant Benedictine, receives a visit from an old friend with a dangerous story to tell — the story of a woman betrayed by time, fate, and someone close to her... someone still unknown. As a young woman, Roza Mojeska was part of an underground resistance group in Communist Poland. But after her arrest, a Stasi officer makes her a devil's bargain — and in the dark of a government prison, a terrible choice is made. Now, fifty years later, Anselm is called upon to investigate both Roza's story and a mystery dating back to the early 1980s, in the icy grip of the Cold War. And as he peels back years of history, decades of secrets, a half-century of lies, he exposes a truth that an entire generation was killed to keep hidden.