A fascinating exploration of the devious tricks and ingenious tools used by early modern spies—from ciphers to counterfeiting, invisible inks to assassinationEarly modern Europe was a hotbed of espionage, where spies, spy-catchers, and conspirators pitted their wits against each other in deadly games of hide and seek. Theirs was a dangerous trade—only those who mastered the latest techniques would survive.In this engaging, accessible account, Nadine Akkerma...

By examining the spaces where authors, printers and readers interact, Negotiating the Jacobean Printed Book highlights the manner in which contemporary culture and canon not only co-existed but mutually nourished and affected one another. An international group of book history scholars look beyond the traditional literary and canonical texts to explore, amongst other things, the physical nature of books and their place in Jacobean society. The contributors interrogate not just the texts th...

"Cracking stories....I was so impressed" Linda Hill, Linda's Book BagAncient gods in conflict and a zombie on welfare, a disappearing boyfriend and AI with daddy issues, a balloon bound for icy danger and a mysterious theft at the museum, a sinister woodland cabin and a pleasure house that’ll cost much more than you can afford.Raiding parties in dystopia, art classes in the city, opposites attracting and love catching fire. Separations and ...

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake delivers a fresh and compelling portrait of Winston Churchill and London during the BlitzNAMED ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2020 BY The Washington Post • HuffPost • The Seattle Times • Lit Hub • The Week • PopSugarOn Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Ado...

**#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history, from the author of The Wager and The Lost City of Z, “one of the preeminent adventure and true-crime writers working today."—New York Magazine • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • NOW A MARTIN SCORSESE PICTURE“A shocking whodunit…What more could fans of true-crime thrillers ask?”—USA Today

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A contemporary literary classic and "an accomplished psychological thriller ... absolutely chilling" (Village Voice), from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Goldfinch.Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them d...

In 2010 thousands of people submitted ghost stories to The Daily Telegraph's first ghost story competition. Standards were chillingly high and only the spookiest went through to the shortlist of six. Presented here are short stories from Gill Baconnier, Justin Crozier, Ceri Hughes, Pat Black, Craig Drew and the winner, Richard Crompton, whose story 'Friends' is an uncanny take on social networking. Currently available only in ebook form they are the perfect company for a long wint...

Comedian Jack Dee's hilarious account of how he became quite such a miserable git and a stand up comedian.'A brilliant book. So funny. It's my bible' Paul O'GradyIn this hilariously frank account of his life, Jack Dee finally reveals what turned a once optimistic young man into this grumpy middle-aged git. It's a journey that takes him from a first gig as a ventriloquist's dummy, to working in an artificial leg factory and...

‘An awe-inspiring main character…I recommend it hugely!’ SHARON BOLTON‘I could not put it down. Totally loved it. Excellent writing, brilliant story’ ANGELA MARSONSA relentless thriller that will grip you by the throat and refuse to let go! Perfect for fans of SILENT SCREAM by Angela Marsons, and THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.You’ve never met anyone like Tuesday. She has suffered extreme cruelty at the hands of men, and so has taken it upon hersel...

The third book in the Angelique De Xavier series, from author Christopher Brookmyre.If society has the B-list celebrities it deserves, it now has a killer to match. Except that Simon Darcourt is a great deal more successful in his career choice than the average talent show contestant. He's also got the media taped - by the simple expedient of by-passing them completely and posting real-time coverage of his killings on the internet. He's got viewing figures to make ...

'BRILLIANT . . . GLORIOUSLY VIVID' GUARDIAN'DISARMINGLY HILARIOUS' SUNDAY TIMES'ROLLICKING . . . CAUSTIC, WITHERING AND GENUINELY FUNNY' INDEPENDENT'FUNNY AND TRAGIC' TLS'SUCH AN ENTERTAINING READ' DAILY MAIL'BOISTEROUS' NEW YORK TIMES'A COMEDY ABOUT TRAGEDY. BRUTAL, PROFOUND AND VERY FU...

"Hilary Mantel and Helen Simpson feature in the nation's favourite annual guide to the short story, now in its fifth year …"Best British Short Stories invites you to judge a book by its cover – or more accurately, by its title. This new series aims to reprint the best short stories published in the previous calendar year by British writers, whether based in the UK or elsewhere. The editor's brief is wide ranging, covering anthologies, collections, magazine...