Showing results by narrator "Tamaryn Payne" in All Categories

You thought they were just staying for the weekend. They looked harmless enough - with only two suitcases and a cat in a wicker box. But soon things turn very, very dark. It happens slowly, yet so extraordinarily quickly. Now you and your sister must find a way to survive....

The Home Group is a collection of ultra-exclusive private members' clubs and a global phenomenon, and the opening of its most ambitious project yet—Island Home, a forgotten island transformed into the height of luxury—is billed as the celebrity event of the decade. But as the first guests arrive, the weekend soon proves deadly—because it turns out that even the most beautiful people can keep the ugliest secrets and, in a world where reputation is everything, they'll do anything to keep it.

A brilliant, hilarious one-off novel in the Skulduggery Pleasant universe, from number-one-bestselling author Derek LandyThis time, the bad guys take the stage.Tanith Low, now possessed by a remnant, recruits a gang of villains – many of whom will be familiar from previous Skulduggery adventures – in order to track down and steal the four God-Killer level weapons that could hurt Darquesse when she eventually emerges. Also on the trail of the weapons is a secret group of Sanctuary sorcerers, and doing his best to keep up and keep Tanith alive is one Mister Ghastly Bespoke.

The heroine of Tolstoy's epic of love and self-destruction, Anna Karenina has beauty, wealth, popularity and an adored son, but feels that her life is empty until she encounters the impetuous officer Count Vronsky. Their subsequent affair scandalises society and family alike, and brings jealousy and bitterness in its wake. Contrasting with this is the vividly observed story of Levin, a man striving to find contentment and a meaning to his life - and also a self-portrait of Tolstoy himself.

Your estate agent calls. She’s running late and needs you to show a man around your home. You let him in and begin the tour. But something about him feels wrong. You ask him to leave and he refuses. Then he tells you something about you – something inconceivable. Why? And how far would you go to find the truth?

Out of the blue, Susie Jones is contacted on social media by Anna, the girl she gave up for adoption fifteen years ago. But when they meet, Anna's home life sounds distinctly strange to Susie and her husband Gabe. And when Anna's adoptive parents seem to overreact to the fact she contacted them at all, Susie becomes convinced that Anna needs her help. But is Anna's own behaviour simply what you'd expect from someone recovering from a traumatic childhood? Or are there other secrets at play here - secrets Susie has also been hiding for the last 15 years?

Iceland, 1956. Fifteen-year-old Lára spends the summer working for a couple on the small island of Videy, just off the coast of Reykjavík. In early August, the girl disappears without a trace. The mystery becomes Iceland's greatest unsolved case. What happened to the young girl? Is she still alive? Did she leave the island, or did something happen to her there? Thirty years later in August, 1986, as the city of Reykjavík celebrates its 200th anniversary, journalist Valur Robertsson begins his own investigation into Lara's case.

Rose Thenlif has never felt at home in these elite halls. An outcast for her inability to cast spells, she keeps her head in books, away from the critical eye of her headmistress mother, and the sneers of her fellow scholars – especially the talented but insufferable Sylvie. But in the corridors of Dunhollow, something strange and threatening is stirring. Classmates are going missing and Rose discovers that she alone can see their ghosts. Are they dead, or enchanted? Or is something more sinister at work?

After the loss of Wesley and the horrifying reveal that Zekia is helping the Kingpin of her own free will, Tavia, Saxony, and Karam flee to Saxony's home to rebuild their rebellion. Meanwhile, trapped in the Kingpin's darkness, Wesley must fight against the deadly magic that invades his mind and find a way back to his friends before it's too late. As the Kingpin's dark magic spreads and his army conquers Creije, these four unlikely friends have to decide just how far they’ll go - and how much they are willing to sacrifice - to win.

It's 1942, and at 19 years old, Hannah Compton has the world at her feet. But with World War II raging, the country is in turmoil, and Hannah decides to do her bit for the War effort. Hannah's beloved grandfather taught her to grow vegetables in his market garden and inspires her to become one of over 200,000 women joining the Land Army. Posted to Salhouse Farm on the outskirts of Norwich, Hannah is excited for the adventure ahead of her. But soon reality hits. Hannah is a city girl at heart, and life in the countryside is not what she imagined.

A feat of endurance across the vast Mongolian plains once traversed by the people of Genghis Khan, competitors ride 25 horses across a distance of 1,000km. Many riders don’t make it to the finish line. In 2013 Lara Prior-Palmer - 19, underprepared but seeking the great unknown - decided to enter the race. Driven by her own restlessness and stubbornness and a lifelong love of horses, she raced for seven days through extreme heat and terrifying storms, catching a few hours of sleep where she could at the homes of nomadic families.

Arty has always lived in the Clearing, a small settlement in the forests of south India. But their happy life, hidden from the rest of the world, is shattered by a terrible accident. For the first time in her 16 years, Arty must leave the only place she's ever known, into the outside world she's been taught to fear. Her only goal is to get help from a woman called Tania, who used to live in the forest, and the Uncle she knows is out there, somewhere. As she embarks on the terrifying journey, pursued by an enemy she can't fathom, Arty soon realises that not everyone is to be trusted.

Join Winnie-the-Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger, and all their forest friends in this classic tale of friendship, adventure, and childhood imagination. Follow this beloved group on their journeys into the Hundred Acre Wood as they face their fears, help those in need, and find delightfully humorous ways to solve all kinds of twisty and tangled troubles. Learn along the way the importance of loyalty, care, kindness, and understanding what makes each friend so uniquely lovable.

A classic children’s fantasy tale and a major inspiration for The Lord of the Rings, this story chronicles the endeavors, struggles, and triumphs of the beautiful, brave, and kind Princess Irene. Written originally as a serial, this charming adventure never has a dull moment. From magic and secrets to mazes and monsters, Princess Irene and her companions must stay focused, stay true, and stay alert to the forces that seek to do them, and her kingdom, harm.

Two rooms all to themselves⁠—it was almost too good to be true! For this was postwar Germany, filled with starving, homeless people trying to stay alive amidst the rubble, and to the Lechows the two freezing attic rooms in Mrs. Verduz’ house on Parsley Street were an unbelievable stroke of luck. No matter that every stick of furniture and even the cracked dishes were borrowed from a grudging but kind landlady, that food was so scarce they were nearly always hungry, that Matthias, loving the stars and growing things, was assigned to construction work by the Labor Office.

Dive into George MacDonald’s journey with Princess Irene through secret mazes, epic battles, and beautiful relationships as the insightful words of Jonathan St. John illuminate the many Christian themes, motifs, and character arcs in this beloved tale.

Leah, a young woman who has found herself 'ambitioned' out of London, is now aimlessly adrift in Paris. Tired of odd jobs in cafés and teaching English to unresponsive social media influencers, her heart skips a beat when she spots an advert for a writer seeking an assistant. Michael was once the bright young star of the London literary scene, now a washed-up author with writer's block. He doesn't place much hope in the advert, but after meeting Leah is filled with an inspiration he hasn't felt in years.

Welcome to Italy. A place that holds the answer to Zia-Lucia Costa Chalmers’ many questions. Not least, how she ended up with such a mouthful of a name. When Zia discovers that her mother wasn’t who she thought she was, she realises the time has come to search out the Italian family she’s never known. However, as she delves into the secrets of her past, she doesn’t bargain on having to think about her future, too. But with local vineyard owner, Piero, living next door, Zia knows she has a serious distraction who may prove difficult to ignore.

It was a whirlwind romance. And when Drew, caught up in the moment, suggests that he and Poppy don’t tell each other anything about their past lives, that they live only for the here and now, for the future they are building together, Poppy jumps at the chance for a fresh start. But it doesn’t take long for Poppy to see that this is a two-way deal. Drew is hiding something from her. And Poppy suddenly has no idea who the man she has married really is, what he is hiding from her or what he might be capable of.

How do you live with yourself as an adult when you were convicted of murder as a child? And when you can't remember the crime...how do you know you're guilty? Charlotte wants a fresh start. She wants to forget her past, forget her crime - and, most of all, forget that one terrible moment. It’s the reason she’s been given a new name, a new life. The reason she spent years in prison.