New Releases
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Sumbar on Sumbeach
Sumbeach on the Gulf of Thailand is home to fishermen, tradesmen, labourers, businessmen, policemen, service providers, expats and tourists all going about their lives in measured tranquillity under the heat of the oriental sun - its bars, restaurants and golf courses overlooked by the towering L’Hotel Majestique.
Sumbar, a short walk along the beach, offers upstairs rooms with a sea view, a swimming pool, and cold beers in the noon day sun.
For Australian tourist Jack Featherstone, Sumbeach is a locale to relax in, on stop-over to Paris.
For wealthy Texan businessman Donald Randalson Jnr, Sumbeach offers a week of golf.
For Australian librarians Beatrice Young and Eugene Parry, Sumbeach is a place for unexpected love and the exposure of dark secrets.
For English police-woman Amelia Sanderson, Sumbeach is where she’ll search among the expats for a murderer.
Overseeing all is Police Captain Choniburshakanari. He knows everything about the activities in his sleepy town, particularly among the expats. Or does he?
Sumbeach is an idyllic paradise, though that may be a façade, particularly when the disparate guests celebrate a fortieth birthday at Sumbar on Sumbeach.
£9.99 -
Garlands of Marigolds
Garlands of Marigolds takes readers in their imagination to so many sights and experiences in Northern India. Witness the beauty of its mountains, lakes, rivers, and deserts. Experience the cultures, the spirituality, and the charm of its people. See simple traditional villages and remarkable modern developments. Come close to its wildlife, from cute squirrels, inquisitive monkeys, and stately camels to the majestic tiger.
The author has built this story over 20 years of travel as an independent tourist, to places famous and others scarcely known. This is a light-hearted, humorous, and enjoyable read, enriched with fascinating facts, real-life experiences, and original photographs.
Maybe you will be encouraged to visit or re-visit this amazing place, to go beyond the usual tourist trails and seek new experiences and exciting adventures.
£11.99 -
Douglas' Diary
This delightful and imaginative diary is narrated by Douglas, a dog who embarks on a narrowboat journey with his human ‘pets’. Douglas recounts his adventures from his unique canine perspective, bringing humor and whimsy to the tale.
Written in engaging diary format, Douglas shares daily events of the journey in his own words. His creative descriptions – referring to the narrowboat as his ‘long-kennel’, the car as his ‘short-kennel’, lifts as ‘magic cupboards’, and more – add a fun touch. As an observant narrator, Douglas provides thoughtful insights into the people and places encountered along the way, while also delighting in simple pleasures like walks, playing ball, and goose droppings. Douglas’ affectionate bond with his Pets shines through.
Enhanced by a map and illustrations, Douglas chronicles the English countryside and villages along the winding canals and rivers. This creative and charming travelogue will appeal to dog lovers, canal boat enthusiasts, or anyone who enjoys a heartwarming tale of adventure and friendship. Douglas is a captivating guide on this 500-mile narrowboat voyage around the Pennine Ring.
£8.99 -
Over the Hill
This book tells the story of modern day pioneering. It chronicles a family’s move to rural Ireland in the last decade of the twentieth century, and describes their struggle to begin with nothing and build a home on the side of a valley in the hills of County Clare, using a mixture of stones gathered from the fields and concrete.
The family were determined to grow their own food and live as self-sufficiently as was practical, despite the poor soil. It also shows the attitudes of the time, and the generosity, hospitality, and sense of community of their Irish neighbours.
All of life is here and the book is sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic, and always inspiring.
£6.99 -
Dreams
Dreams is inspired by symbolist poetry and by the medieval summa which tried to encapsulate the entire world in its pages. The poems do not need to be understood but should be viewed as abstract art in which one tries, always unsuccessfully, to put infinite riches in a little room. Despite its size it is like a book of a hundred pages with miniscule paintings on the margins of every page. The longer one looks at a painting the larger it becomes and reveals more and more so that one hardly has to read the words. Dreams is a confused memory of the Gesamtkunstwerk which has had many names: the sacred book of the arts, the engulfed cathedral, the interior castle, the stone lyre.
£5.99 -
The Artist
Emilia, an aspiring actress, works as a waitress at a Parisian restaurant called The Ship. There, she meets Heinrich, an architect who falls deeply in love with her. As Emilia’s acting career flourishes, she decides to return to Germany to work on her father’s farm. Undeterred by the distance, Heinrich follows her back to Germany and continues his work as an architect there. This heartwarming story emphasizes the significance of family bonds and romance in a contemporary context.
During her time in Germany, Emilia reminisces about her Aunt Sophia, who supported her family during the difficult period following her mother’s untimely death in Emilia’s childhood. She seizes the opportunity to reconnect with Sophia, her cousin David, and his wife Gina at a dinner party. Emilia’s father is overjoyed when she returns to Germany to assist with his farming endeavours.
While Emilia may eventually return to Paris, for now, she chooses to focus on nurturing her blossoming romance with Heinrich and cherishing the time spent with her loved ones in Germany.
£5.99 -
The Story – Be Careful What You Read
Daniel and the demure, and slightly shy Gabby are due to go on holiday to Kefalonia. Gabby, having received a bonus from work, treats herself to some clothes. Realizing she hadn’t bought much for Daniel, she sees an e-book in the window of a second-hand shop. With only one story loaded, she reads the synopsis and sees that it is a rom-com, knowing it's not Daniel’s style but still buys it for him. When he reads the synopsis, he finds the story to be a violent action thriller. He decides to save the book until they are on holiday, and in the run-up, the weather in Britain turns unseasonably cold. As he starts to read the story, he discovers it is a spy thriller but begins to notice strange similarities between the characters in the story and their own experiences. The more he reads, the more uncomfortable he becomes. He speaks to Gabby about it, but she dismisses it as a coincidence. He notices words changing as he reads them, and the e-book seems to be communicating with him. Gradually, the story starts to predict their future, a future full of danger. He feels compelled to continue reading and ignores Gabby, driving her into the arms of another man to fulfil her desires that Daniel wasn’t giving her. Too late, he finds out that he must never stop reading.
£8.99 -
The Lost Keys
On the island of Singapore, Zacharia Pattara shares his lavish home in the suburbs with his five lively daughters and his beloved wife Anthoula. One fateful night in 1942 whilst they slept, the bombs of an invading Japanese Army signal the beginning of an uncertain future. With the clock ticking and the threat of advancing soldiers he does all he can to keep his family safe.
Forced to separate, Anthoula and three girls evacuate the crumbling city whilst his youngest daughters take refuge in the convent. Soon Singapore falls under ruthless Japanese rule and along with thousands of citizens, Zacharia is taken as a Prisoner of War and held in appalling conditions.
Haunted by regret and with limited food rations he gradually starves, awaiting news of his loved ones. With no end to the war in sight and with nothing but time, he has many questions. Did his wife escape unharmed from the island? Are his daughters safe in the convent? Will they ever be reunited, and can he survive the cruelty of his captors to see that day?
This heartfelt family saga full of twists and turns shows that during the darkest of times, the strength of the human spirit can overcome the worst hardships. The Pattara family were among thousands who lost so much to the Japanese occupation during World War II. Based on real events, this is a story of survival and bravery when all hope seems impossible.
£12.99 -
Class Conflict
Biggsy’s challenging school year continues into the spring term. The 50-year-old head of English at a West London boys’ secondary school is at a critical point in his career. Jaded with the state education system and nearing professional burnout, he prepares for a change of role in the school.
The new year started badly, with health issues resulting in him being rushed to the local casualty ward. At school, problems abound as the new term starts. He agrees to a risky venture to raise extra funds for essential textbooks; a first-year pupil disappears; a colleague is threatened by a management bully; the school is targeted for business by a drug gang; and there is a tragedy within his department.
At home, he is alarmed by his daughter’s decision to become a teacher, the one career against which he has determinedly advised her. Fortunately, Biggsy’s wife Myra is there to keep her husband afloat amidst the overwhelming tide of school demands. She and his sixth-form tutor group provide the humor in the novel. Her unfailing support and the admiration of his students enable him to soldier on in his teaching career.
£10.99 -
Daisy Chain
As her ninety-fifth year draws to a close, Margaret’s light begins to fade. With her last wish and legacy in mind, she pins all her hopes on a much younger generation, seeking to bridge the gap between two vastly different stages of life.
Joshua and Abigail, at the opposite end of life’s spectrum, find themselves unexpectedly intertwined with Margaret’s final journey. As they strive to fulfil her dying wish, they are forced to confront their own demons and embark on a path of self-discovery. Will their efforts to help Margaret ultimately lead them to find themselves, or will their struggles be lost in the dwindling sands of time?
Amidst the turmoil, the question of forgiveness looms large. Can long-standing nemeses be forgiven, and can the weight of the past be lifted? As Margaret, Joshua, and Abigail navigate this emotional landscape, they each seek the serenity that has eluded them for so long.
£12.99 -
Pretend With Me
Have you ever felt adrift, living a life that doesn’t seem to belong to you, ensnared by choices you didn’t make? Catherine Carell was on the brink of surrendering to that feeling when an unexpected chance rekindled her determination, propelling her into the orbit of Jackson Hunter, a movie star whose life appears to have it all. But appearances can be deceiving. As the lines between professionalism and desire blur, and their connection deepens, a secret Catherine harbours threatens to emerge. In a world where reality and pretence intertwine, how long can she keep her secret hidden? And when the truth finally comes to light, will it have the power to shatter everything they believed in? This story navigates the complexities of love, identity, and the weight of secrets, posing the question: Is the truth enough to set them free, or is it a harbinger of ruin?
£10.99 -
Winds of Change
The winds of change are blowing over Africa, and South Africa, the last bastion of white supremacy, refuses to give up its unjust policy of Apartheid in the midst of international pressure and internal conflict.
It is the late seventies and Father Christopher Wright one of the few ‘coloured priests’ in Cape Town meets a pregnant Joanna Poggenpoel, a simple coloured country girl working as housekeeper for Fr Patrick O’Shaunessy, a white priest, a missionary from Ireland. This sets off a wave of intricate events and relationships across the racial, religious and political divide bringing together whites, blacks, coloureds and every one in between as crimes unfold and forbidden liaisons are formed.
What unfolds is unimaginable and will shock you, but at the same time the characters in Winds of Change will make you laugh and cry.
£16.99