The Essence of Grace

Bob Temple is unlucky in love. After his latest relationship fails he turns to his love of music to start a new career running dancing events with his dancer friends Becky, Keith, Matt and Ruby. Becky thinks Bob needs a new woman but he isn't so sure. The dance troupe travel around the country to hold their popular, vibrant evenings of dancing and music. One night, however, a gig in Bury St Edmunds turns very strange. Why are the policemen wearing such strange outfits? And why is everyone so suspicious of modern technology? The group come to realise something very unusual is going on. During this extraordinary evening Bob makes an instant but deep connection with one of the punters, the lovely Grace, but back in his normal life she becomes completely unreachable. Bob soon discovers the lengths he will need to go to to be reunited with Grace.

Unlocking the Iron Gate

During the 1950s, the people of Czechoslovakia and other Soviet Bloc countries were locked away from the rest of the world and not allowed the freedoms and rights of Western society. However, chinks were made in that Iron Curtain by courageous people who refused to let go of their faith, values, and love until, finally, that oppressive system fell down.In a small village in Czechoslovakia, Zuzana Tesarova must survive under this communist system that wants to restrict her family's religious freedom and speech. Her husband, Jozef"”an outspoken peasant"”is imprisoned for a short period of time and loses his job. Their youngest son, Pavol, is born into these circumstances and grows up behind the Iron Curtain.Despite the fact that he must go along with Marxism and Leninism in academia, Pavol becomes a university professor as well as an active dissident in the underground church where he meets people like Jan Korec, a secret Jesuit bishop. Can Pavol maintain his professional life along with his faith?Then, a chance meeting with an American girl named Katie changes Pavol's life forever.

The Norland Inheritance

The Norland Inheritance picks up five years after the conclusion of Sense and Sensibility, as Margaret, the youngest sister, reaches the age of eighteen. Following the tragic death of their only son in a riding accident, John and Fanny, Margaret’s half-brother and sister-in-law, invite her to stay with them in London. John hopes to fulfil his father’s neglected wishes by launching Margaret into society at his own expense. Fanny, however, secretly resents this invitation, particularly as her relationship with John has deteriorated since the loss of their son. Despite this, she chooses to bide her time and comply with his wishes for the moment.

With John’s passing, the heir to Norland is now Charles Dashwood, a cousin, and a doctor by profession. Shortly after Margaret’s arrival, Fanny discovers John’s secret desire for Charles to marry Margaret, thus redressing the imbalance of the entail and ensuring that Margaret will be the future mistress of Norland. Fanny’s jealousy-fuelled dislike of all of John’s sisters, especially Margaret, is so incensed by this potential match that she resolves to stop it by any means within her power. She schemes to marry Margaret off to the first suitor who shows any interest. To this end, she introduces Margaret to a fortune hunter, the dashing Captain Dunning, who pays court to Margaret after Fanny hints that she is to inherit Norland.

The Resurrection Men

The Resurrection Men draws inspiration from the notorious legend of Edinburgh’s infamous body snatchers, Burke and Hare. Set in the 1800s, this compelling tale serves as a sharp social critique, vividly portraying the poverty and deprivation endured by the lower classes. The novel exposes the callous exploitation by the upper echelons of society, highlighting how wealthy employers often neglected the welfare of their workers. Particularly, it sheds light on the appalling conditions faced by young children forced to work in the mines, where danger to life and limb was a daily reality.

This powerful, grim historical novel employs gallows humour to bring its characters and their struggles to life. As the story unfolds, it raises profound questions: Can desperate circumstances fundamentally change a person’s behaviour? When subjected to extreme poverty, are all humans capable of heinous acts, regardless of their inherent nature? Above all, The Resurrection Men is a poignant love story that will captivate the imagination of any reader, leaving them both moved and reflective.