Describing himself as ‘a crusty but urbane Scot, in his prime’, Quintin Jardine gave up a career as a political spin-doctor for a job ‘more in touch with reality’: writing crime fiction. His Bob Skinner books are set mainly in Edinburgh, where Skinner – ‘Britain’s toughest cop’ – leads the CID. The five titles included in this set are:Skinner's Trail (Read more...) Skinner's Rules (Read more...) Skinner's Round (Read more...) Skinner's Ordeal (Read more...) Skinner's Festival (Read more...)

This sequel to Catherine Cookson's Hamilton trilogy finds sensitive writer Maisie married to a controlling man whose new employee, a strange man known as the 'Sand Dancer', strikes fear into her heart every time their paths cross.

Foundling Rebecca is taken in by a couple who don't understand her, and her life takes another ominous turn when her adoptive mother dies, leaving her in the care of a grasping aunt. A visiting circus may offer her the chance of a new life, free of the burdens of her past.

When a mysterious blaze kills her foster parents, Madeleine is falsely accused of starting the fire and is exiled to a remote children's home. Only her determination to reunite with her beloved younger brother gives her the strength to face the challenging times ahead.

After being banished in the 1950s to an Irish convent to hide a shameful pregnancy, Vicar's daughter Charlotte is inspired to train as a midwife. But her determination to prevent other women suffering as she did leads her down a dangerous path.

The investigation into the murder of a somewhat shady businessman in his luxury suburban villa sets Skinner on a complex, blood-soaked trail of drugs, vice and corruption between Edinburgh and northern Spain.

The discovery of the horribly mutilated corpse of a young lawyer shocks Skinner and his team; when the lawyer’s fiancée is also found murdered, the search for the couple’s killer reveals a deep-rooted and deadly conspiracy.

A man found dead, his throat cut in the clubhouse jacuzzi, mars the opening of an elite country club and is linked to a legendary witches’ curse. Skinner thinks that is fantasy, but the discovery of another body makes him think again.

A plane explodes in Scottish skies, with British and American defence officials on board and Skinner, now Deputy Chief Constable, must lead the most high-profile case of his career while battling to survive a personal crisis.

An explosion that rocks Edinburgh on the first day of the Festival, killing one man, is followed by a threatening letter to the Secretary of State. Skinner faces a fanatical, highly trained and heavily armed group that endangers Scotland.

Because she loves her husband, Bridget Mulligan feels she must confess to a fleeting infidelity with an old flame, but Tom Mulligan cannot forgive her. Heartbroken, Bridget turns to her feisty young friend Fanny for support.

A rich factory owner, Leonard Mears paid his sister and her husband to bring up his illegitimate daughter. After her ‘Daddy’ dies and her evil ‘mother’ leaves, Sally is homeless and penniless, but with a purpose – to find her real father.

In rural Lancashire in 1900 wealthy Silas Fenshaw proposes to his childhood sweetheart, Cathleen, a baker’s daughter. Together they start making plans; so too does a jealous woman who wants Silas – and Fenshaw House – for herself.

Eva Bereton believed the farm belonged to her parents, but when a figure from the past returns to reclaim it, she must leave and, with her friend Patsy, try to build a new life in Blackburn.

In love with Rick, a man she can never marry, Queenie flees her native Blackburn, but returns to the north, to Blackpool, to manage the house of a friend in prison. Meanwhile, Rick continues to search for Queenie.

Queenie Kenney’s mother died giving birth to her, and after the aunt who cared for her dies, Queenie is left to the mercy of her drunken father – unless love, in the shape of Rick Marsden, can release her.

In this celebration of Sunday lunch, Mary Berry offers recipes for all seasons, from light summer salads to winter casseroles and curries. She gives tried-and-tested advice on preparing all types of roast plus traditional accompaniments such as Yorkshire puddings, cranberry sauce and stuffing, and includes roasting charts for both the conventional oven and the Aga. Other chapters cover canapés, vegetarian dishes, cold desserts and hot puddings.

The Emperor Claudius has died and Nero is on the throne, but a rival faction supports Claudius’ son Britannicus. When Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro return to Rome they find themselves drawn into this deadly intrigue against a backdrop of looming civil war.

Billy Connelly recounts with customary humour his ten-week journey through the North West Passage, piloting an aeroplane over Iceberg Valley, trekking through mountains and kayaking through ice floes. Although in awe of the landscape, illustrated here with hundreds of photographs, it was his encounters with ordinary people that made the greatest impression, introducing him to traditions that were essential for survival in this challenging environment.

Often focusing on the bonds of family and featuring strong female characters, Martina Cole's bestselling novels are mostly set in London, among the underworld gangs and organized crime families of the East End and the author's home county of Essex. The four titles included in this set are: The Faithless (Read more...) Faces (Read more...) The Life (Read more...) The Family (Read more...)

The Bailey brothers have been the top dogs of East End gangland since the 1970s and their sons are following in their footsteps. Trouble comes when Lena Bailey attempts to shield her daughter Tania from the family business.

The TV presenter and animal lover Kate Humble draws on her experience of training her sheepdog puppy to present this examination of how dogs have evolved from predator to lifesaver, supporting her discoveries about the unique connection between humans and canines with real-life stories featuring rescue, guide, service and medical dogs.

Christine Murphy's illusion of a big happy family is gradually eroded as the true nature of her husband and his family's violent criminal activities in Southend are revealed.

A dissatisfied and unsettled woman is the selfish antihero at the centre of this thriller. Jealous of her sister and neglectful of her children, her demands will come at a price.

Danny Cadogan fought his way to the top of London gangland to protect his family but his cruelty has made them despise him and they are among many people plotting against him.

Set amid the criminal underworld of London’s East End, this hard-hitting family drama follows Imelda Dooley from her dangerous mistakes in the late 1970s to their legacy in the present, as her children confront a life of drugs, prostitution and gangsters.

Week after week, the postcards arrive from Greece, addressed to someone Ellie does not know, signed only with the initial A. Lured by the images of blue seas and bright skies, she decides to go there herself. Then a notebook arrives…

The personal trainers and popular YouTubers Leon Bustin and John Chapman advocate a balanced, fad-free approach to well-being, and here they share a variety of nutritious recipes, workout plans and mindfulness tips designed to improve overall health and happiness.

This definitive history of the Special Boat Service, which draws on previously classified archive material and first-hand recollections of former personnel, explores its pioneering operations during the Second World War before examining subsequent roles, including the protection of UK coastal installations, counter-terrorism and intelligence gathering prior to large-scale manoeuvres.

Despite being German and a former member of the Communist Party, Klaus Fuchs was granted British citizenship at the height of the Second World War and invited to contribute to research on the atomic bomb. The physicist moved to America in 1943 to work on the Manhattan Project, all the time passing vital information to the Russians. This biography assesses Fuchs's value as a scientist and as a spy as he traded the greatest secrets of the age.