Showing results by narrator "Simon Prebble" in All Categories

Unlike his brothers, Vane Cynster vows to never marry. The eligible women of London have different plans for him, however. Seeking safety at Bellamy Hall, the residence of his eccentric godmother, Vane doesn't expect to meet any new unmarried women. But upon his arrival, he encounters the voluptuous Patience Debbington in the garden. When their gazes meet for the first time, she is filled with a sensation that leaves her quivering.

Hailed as one of the world’s masterpieces of psychological realism, The Death of Ivan Ilyich is the story of a worldly careerist, a high-court judge who has never given the inevitability of his death so much as a passing thought. But one day death announces itself to him, and to his shocked surprise he is brought face-to-face with his own mortality. How, Tolstoy asks, does an unreflective man confront his one and only moment of truth?

It's 1825 in London, and the two curvaceous and blonde 23-year-old Cynster twins, Amanda and Ameliaare, are desperate to get married. All they need are two fine, strapping gentlemen - preferably with large purses.

So what do these two lusty young ladies do?They make a visit to the local gaming halls, of course!

Governess Honoria Wetherby values her independence. She would rather travel the world than marry and give some man control of her life. Then, one stormy evening, fate changes all her plans. She stumbles upon a mortally wounded young man in the woods. When the stranger dies, she is trapped in a cabin with his body and with his newly arrived cousin, Devil, whom she soon learns is aptly named.

This acclaimed best seller from popular historian Alison Weir is a fascinating look at the Tudor family dynasty and its most infamous ruler. The Six Wives of Henry VIII brings to life England’s oft-married monarch and the six wildly different but equally fascinating women who married him. Gripping from the first sentence to the last and loaded with fascinating details, Weir’s rich history is a perfect blend of scholarship and entertainment.

A mysterious and sensual woman, shrouded in a heavy black veil, begs Gabriel Cynster to help protect her family's home from the unscrupulous man trying to steal it. Unable to resist a challenge, he agrees - but protection comes with a price. From one searing kiss to the next, the truth of her identity could be revealed, which could cost both of them everything -including their passion.

Gyles Rawlings, the Earl of Chillingsworth, is a man determined to stay in control of his destiny. Even as he vows to wed a dutiful, blue-blooded lady for the purpose of fostering progeny, he deviously plans to fulfill his most sinful pleasures with a brazen strumpet. But standing at the altar on that fateful day, he unexpectedly finds himself falling in love with his beautiful bride-to-be.

In the year 1689, a cabal of Barbary galley slaves, including one “Half-Cocked Jack” Shaftoe, devises a daring plan to win freedom and fortune. A great adventure ensues that will place the intrepid band at odds with the mighty and the mad, with alchemists, Jesuits, great navies, pirate queens, and vengeful despots across vast oceans and around the globe.

Daniel Waterhouse finds himself embroiled in a dark conflict that has been raging in the shadows for decades. It is a secret war between the brilliant, enigmatic Master of the Mint (and closet alchemist) Isaac Newton and his archnemesis, the insidious counterfeiter Jack the Coiner, a.k.a. Jack Shaftoe, King of the Vagabonds.

Sherlock Holmes is dead--or so most of the world thinks. His fatal plunge over the Reichenbach Falls as he struggled with his archenemy, Moriarty, has been widely reported. But Holmes has escaped and is alive. In his immediate circle, only Holmes's brother, the lethargic genius Mycroft, knows of his survival. Even Dr. Watson thinks that the great detective is dead. Among his enemies, Sebastian Moran, Moriarty's chief henchman, knows of Holmes's probable escape and waits for their inevitable meeting.

Wealthy and roguish, Demon Cynster is perfectly content without love. Having witnessed his Cynster brethren driven to their knees by women, he knows all too well what the power of love can do to a man. But he never banked on meeting Felicity Parteger, a luscious, curvy beauty in desperate need of help. Could this tempting woman be the one?

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), credited as the inspiration for radio, robots, and even radar, has been called the patron saint of modern electricity. Based on original material and previously unavailable documents, this acclaimed book is the definitive biography of the man considered by many to be the founding father of modern electrical technology.

One of the world’s greatest novelists, Leo Tolstoy was also the author of a number of superb short stories, one of his best known being “The Kreutzer Sonata.” This macabre story involves the murder of a wife by her husband. It is a penetrating study of jealousy as well as a piercing complaint about the way in which society educates men and women in matters of sex - a serious condemnation of the mores and attitudes of the wealthy, educated class.

The trials of Dr. Daniel Waterhouse and the Natural Philosophers increase one-hundred fold in an England plagued by the impending war and royal insecurities - as the beautiful and ambitious Eliza plays a most dangerous game as double agent and confidante of enemy kings.

Determined to escape the matchmaking skills of London society, Alasdair Cynster-better known as Lucifer-heads for the English countryside. But his flight from London leads him straight to Phyllida Tallent, a beautiful, strong-willed young woman who is as equally determined as he is to remain unmarried.

Greek poet Homer established the standard for tales of epic quests and heroic journeys with The Odyssey. Crowded with characters, both human and nonhuman, and bursting with action, The Odyssey details the adventures of Ulysses, king of Ithaca and hero of the Trojan War, as he struggles to return to his home and his waiting, ever-faithful wife, Penelope.

Four amazing talents have come together to create one of the most unforgettable events of the year. The results are spectacular - each story is as unique as a lover's first kiss.

A vicar's 20-year-old daughter pays dearly for a single lapse in judgment. To avoid the scorn of local villagers, Charlotte Lamb wends her way to the forbidding Milkweed Manor on the outskirts of London. Concealing her identity, she finds refuge within the dank confines of this mysterious bastion of old secrets and new life. She soon encounters a former suitor, harboring secrets of his own. Firmly relying on God's strength, both resolve to protect their loved ones.

The year is 1806. Centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation’s past. But scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains: the reclusive Mr Norrell, whose displays of magic send a thrill through the country. Proceeding to London, he raises a beautiful woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet the cautious, fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange. Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very antithesis of Norrell.

When Devil, the most infamous member of the Cynster family, is caught in a compromising position with plucky governess Honoria, he astonishes the entire ton by offering his hand in marriage. But Honoria isn't about to bend to society's demands. She craves adventure and is set on seeing the world. Could her passion for Devil cause her to embrace the enchanting peril of a lifelong adventure of the heart?