Are standards of English alright — or should that be all right? To knowingly split an infinitive or not to? And what about ending a sentence with preposition, or for that matter beginning one with 'and'? We learn language by instinct, but good English, the pedants tell us, requires rules. Yet, as Oliver Kamm demonstrates, many of the purists' prohibitions are bogus and can be cheerfully disregarded. ACCIDENCE WILL HAPPEN is an authoritative and deeply reassuring guide to grammar, style and the linguistic conundrums we all face.

When David Harwood is asked to look in on his cousin Marla, who is still traumatised after losing her baby, he thinks it will be some temporary relief from his dead-end life. But when he arrives, he's disturbed to find blood on Marla's front door. He's even more disturbed to find Marla looking after a baby, a baby she claims was delivered to her by an angel. Soon after, a woman's body is discovered, stabbed to death, with her own baby missing. It looks as if Marla has done something truly terrible. But while the evidence seems overwhelming, David just can't believe that his cousin is a murderer. In which case, who did kill Rosemary Gaynor? Why did they then take her baby and give it to Marla? It's up to David to find out what really happened, but he soon discovers that the truth could be worse than he ever imagined...

History's greatest love story, Catherine the Great and Potemkin is a sweeping epic of sex, love, power, conquest and extravagance on a magnificent Russian scale. Not only was only was their romance wildly passionate but they were also probably the most successful political partnership of all, outstripping Antony and Cleopatra or Napoleon and Josephine. Their secret letters, which discuss other lovers, sex, wars, politics, arts and health, are surely the most intimate and extraordinary ever written by an empress or politician.

Six months ago, Harry Bosch left the LAPD before they could fire him, and then hired maverick Defence Attorney Mickey Haller to sue the department for forcing him out. Although it wasn't the way he wanted to go, Harry has to admit that being out of the game has its benefits. Until Mickey asks him to help him on one of his cases, and suddenly Harry is back where he belongs, right in the centre of a particularly puzzling murder mystery. The difference is, this time Harry is working for the defence, aiming to prevent the accused, Leland Foster, from being convicted. And not only does the prosecution seem to have a cast-iron case, but having crossed over to 'the dark side' as his former colleagues would put it, Harry is in danger of betraying the very principles he's lived by his whole career.

The Romanovs were the most successful dynasty of modern times, ruling a sixth of the world's surface. How did one family turn a war-ruined principality into the world's greatest empire? And how did they lose it all? This is the intimate story of twenty tsars and tsarinas, some touched by genius, some by madness, but all inspired by holy autocracy and imperial ambition. Montefiore's gripping chronicle reveals their secret world of unlimited power and ruthless empire-building, overshadowed by palace conspiracy, family rivalries, sexual decadence and wild extravagance, and peopled by a cast of adventurers, courtesans, revolutionaries and poets, from Ivan the Terrible to Tolstoy, from Queen Victoria to Lenin. To rule Russia was both imperial-sacred mission and poisoned chalice: six tsars were murdered and all the Romanovs lived under constant threat to their lives. Peter the Great tortured his own son to death while making Russia an empire, and dominated his court with a dining club notable for compulsory drunkenness, naked dwarfs and fancy dress. Catherine the Great overthrew her own husband — who was murdered soon afterwards — loved her young male favourites, conquered Ukraine and fascinated Europe. Paul was strangled by courtiers backed by his own son, Alexander I, who faced Napoleon's invasion and the burning of Moscow, then went on to take Paris. Alexander II liberated the serfs, survived five assassination attempts, and wrote perhaps the most explicit love letters ever written by a ruler. THE ROMANOVS climaxes with a fresh, unforgettable portrayal of Nicholas and Alexandra, the rise and murder of Rasputin, war and revolution — and the harrowing massacre of the entire family. Written with dazzling literary flair, drawing on new archival research, THE ROMANOVS is at once an enthralling story of triumph and tragedy, love and death, a universal study of power, and an essential portrait of the empire that still defines Russia today.

A student has gone missing in Edinburgh. She's not just any student, though, but the daughter of well-to-do and influential bankers. There's almost nothing to go on until DI John Rebus gets an unmistakable gut feeling that there's more to this than just another runaway spaced out on unaccustomed freedom. Two leads emerge: a carved wooden doll in a toy coffin, found in the student's home village, and an internet role-playing game. The ancient and the modern, brought together by uncomfortable circumstance...

It is June 1778, and the world seems to be turning upside-down. The British Army is withdrawing from Philadelphia, with George Washington in pursuit, and for the first time, it looks as if the rebels might actually win. But for Claire Fraser and her family, there are even more tumultuous revolutions that have to be accommodated. Her former husband, Jamie, has returned from the dead, demanding to know why in his absence she married his best friend, Lord John Grey. Lord John's son, the ninth Earl of Ellesmere, is no less shocked to discover that his real father is actually the newly resurrected Jamie Fraser, and Jamie's nephew Ian Murray discovers that his new-found cousin has an eye for the woman who has just agreed to marry him. And while Claire is terrified that one of her husbands may be about to murder the other, in the 20th century her descendants face even more desperate turns of events. Her daughter Brianna is trying to protect her son from a vicious criminal with murder on his mind, while her husband Roger has disappeared into the past...

Maggie is married with two grown children. Her twenty-five year-old marriage to Phil has lost its sparkle. Carol is widowed. She understands life is short so she lives it to the full. But is her new romance all that it seems? The two women meet in the beauty salon having their nails painted. Choosing the same colour to please their men leads them to discover the truth! When Maggie and Carol realise they are sharing the same man, they decide to teach Phil a lesson or two he won't easily forget...

In the fifth of his bestselling series Ben Aaronovitch takes Peter Grant out of whatever comfort zone he might have found and takes him out of London — to a small village in Herefordshire where the local police are reluctant to admit that there might be a supernatural element to the disappearance of some local children. But while you can take the London copper out of London you can't take the London out of the copper. Travelling west with Beverley Brook, Peter soon finds himself caught up in a deep mystery and having to tackle local cops and local gods. And what's more all the shops are closed by 4pm... Sales for BROKEN HOMES in trade leapt by 50% over WHISPERS UNDER GROUND, confirming that Ben Aaronovitch is an author with an unrivalled eye for a bestselling story.

July 1209: in Carcassonne a seventeen-year-old girl is given a mysterious book by her father which he claims contains the secret of the true Grail. Although Alais cannot understand the strange words and symbols hidden within, she knows that her destiny lies in keeping the secret of the labyrinth safe... July 2005: Alice Tanner discovers two skeletons in a forgotten cave in the French Pyrenees. Puzzled by the labyrinth symbol carved into the rock, she realises she's disturbed something that was meant to remain hidden. Somehow, a link to a horrific past — her past — has been revealed.

What would you do to protect your daughter ...? From the million-copy bestselling author of NO TIME FOR GOODBYE. Seven years ago, Terry Archer and his family experienced a horrific ordeal which nearly cost them their lives. Today, the echoes of that fateful night are still audible. Terry's wife, Cynthia, is living separate from her husband and daughter after her own personal demons threatened to ruin her relationship with them permanently. Their daughter, Grace, is rebelling against her parents' seemingly needless overprotection. Terry is just trying to keep his family together. And the entire town is reeling from the senseless murder of two elderly locals. But when Grace foolishly follows her delinquent boyfriend into a strange house, the Archers must do more than stay together. They must stay alive. Because now they have all been unwillingly drawn into the shadowy depths of their seemingly idyllic hometown. For there, they will be reconnected with the man who saved their lives seven years ago, but who still remains a ruthless, unrepentant criminal. They will encounter killers for hire working all sides. And they will learn that there are some things people value much more than money, and will do anything to get it. Caught in a labyrinth between family loyalty and ultimate betrayal, Terry must find a way to extricate his family from a lethal situation he still doesn't fully comprehend. All he knows is that to live, he may have to do the unthinkable...

Ashcombe was the most beautiful house Saskia had ever seen as a little girl. A rambling pink cottage on the edge of the Suffolk village of Melbury Green, its enchanting garden provided a fairy-tale playground of seclusion, a perfect sanctuary to hide from the tragedy which shattered her childhood. Now an adult, Saskia is still living at Ashcombe and as a book restorer devotes her days tending to the broken, battered books that find their way to her, daydreaming about the people who had once turned their pages. When she discovers a notebook carefully concealed in an old Bible — and realising someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to hide a story of their own — Saskia finds herself drawn into a heart-rending tale of wartime love...

James Bond is back w here he belongs. Anthony Horow itz's new novel is a thrilling tour de force, sure to delight fans of the original 007 novels and new readers alike. It also features previously unseen material w ritten by Bond's creator, Ian Fleming. The story begins in the lethal w orld of Grand Prix and an attempt by the Russians to sabotage a race at Nurburgring, the most dangerous track in Europe. Bond is in the driving seat but events sw iftly take an unexpected turn, pitching him into an entirely different race w ith implications that could change the w orld. Anthony Horow itz recreates the golden age of Bond, packed w ith speed, danger, strong w omen and fiendish villains, in this brilliantly authentic adventure.

Comic, colourful and succinct, with short text, lots of pictures and jokey captions, this is a brilliant introduction to the story of Ireland. From its pictorial endpaper maps to the panels of 'Irish Icons' ranging from Brian Boru to the Abbey Theatre, it is packed with useful and fascinating information. A story that is often complicated and turbulent is told with sensitivity and clarity, from the first legends right up to the present day. The Story of Ireland is the follow-up to Richard Brassey and Stewart Ross's The Story of Scotland, which won the Saltire Society/TES Award for Educational Publications and the Scottish Arts Council Children's Book Award.

Belle and Boo are getting ready for Christmas, and they want you to join in with all the festive fun! There's so much to see and do in this delightful sticker and activity book. Decorate the Christmas tree, build a snowman, dress Belle and Boo is cosy winter clothes, and much, much more! With games, puzzles, dress-up figures, colouring and over 200 pretty stickers, this fabulously festive book will keep little ones entertained for hours.

New boutique hardback edition of the definitive version of The Night Before Christmas classic poem with a beautiful foiled cover and unbelievable illustrations from Angela Barrett, winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal. The perfect Christmas gift or stocking-filler. All the excitement and anticipation of Christmas Eve is captured in this magical version of this popular festive verse. Her detailed illustrations depict a nostalgic, snow-covered world that sparkles with elegance and flair. A classic book that will become a cherished part of many a family Christmas, and begs to be reread year after year as a much-loved festive tradition. Every family needs a copy of The Night Before Christmas. Angela Barrett's edition is the perfect read for a Christmas Eve bedtime — Sunday Express No festive season is complete without The Night Before Christmas — Junior.

Discover the magic of London at Christmas time with classic picture book character, Katie. When Katie and Jack are woken up late on Christmas Eve by a loud sneeze, little do they realise that they are about to embark on the most amazing evening! Soon they are flying high across London, over snow-dusted landmarks, through the star-scattered sky with the one and only Father Christmas, in his sleigh, with his magical reindeer! But can they help Father Christmas to deliver all his presents and be back in time for Christmas morning? This is the perfect gift and why not collect all 13 Katie titles, including Katie in London: London comes to life in this magical adventure — Independent on Sunday This story features some of London's best sights, including: Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square and many more landmarks.

In the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit, not many murder victims die almost a decade after the crime. So when a man succumbs to complications from being shot by a stray bullet nine years earlier, Bosch catches a case in which the body is still fresh, but any other evidence is virtually nonexistent. Now Bosch and his new partner, rookie Detective Lucia Soto, are tasked with solving what turns out to be a highly charged, politically sensitive case. Starting with the bullet that's been lodged for years in the victim's spine, they must pull new leads from years-old information, which soon reveals that this shooting may have been anything but random.

They told David it was impossible — that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart — invincible, immortal, unconquerable — is dead. And he died by David's hand. Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs. Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David's willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic — Firefight. And he's willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.