Showing results by narrator "Clare Clare" in All Categories

Fanny Hill, one of the most popular novels of the 18th century, traces the rise of its heroine from prostitution to middle-class respectability. Condemned in its own time on grounds of indecency, the book was the subject of several lawsuits until as recently as the 1960s. For today's audience, the work holds as much fascination as when it was first published, not only as the foremost example of English erotic fiction but as a literary classic in its own right.

First appearing in 1782, Dangerous Liaisons is one of the most scandalous and controversial novels in European literature. The plot unfolds through a series of letters as the two main protagonists, the Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil, attempt to bring about the seduction of a young woman. The epistolary nature of the novel gives a multi-faceted perspective of the action, which places the book firmly in the tradition of libertine literature.

Praise for Joanna Hickson: ‘An intriguing tale, told with confidence’ The Times ‘Rich and warm’ Sunday Express Will his ambition be her destiny or her downfall? When Isabel Williams is betrothed to John Seymour, Lord of Wolf Hall Manor, she hopes that love and respect will come, despite...

Rosemary has lived in Brixton all her life. But now everything she knows is changing - the library where she used to work has closed, the family fruit and veg shop has become a trendy bar, and her beloved husband, George, is gone. Kate has just moved and feels alone in a city that is too big for her. She's at the bottom rung of her career as a journalist on a local paper and is determined to make something of it. So when the local lido is threatened with closure, Kate knows this story could be her chance to shine.

Samuel Richardson's epistolary novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, published in 1740, tells the story of a young woman's resistance to the desires of her predatory master. Pamela is determined to protect her virginity and remain a paragon of virtue; however, the heroine's moral principles only strengthen the resolve of Mr. B and Pamela soon finds herself imprisoned against her will. The young woman's affection for her captor gradually grows and she becomes aware of a love that combines eros and agape.

Tom Ward is the Spook, the one person who can defend the county from bloodthirsty creatures of the dark. But he's only 17, and his apprenticeship was cut short when his master died in battle. No one trusts Tom's skill, not till he's proven himself. And a 15-year-old girl named Jenny knows more about the three mysterious deaths in the county than Tom does. She is a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, and she wants to be Tom's first apprentice – even though a female Spook is unheard of.

Recuperating from a flying accident, Jerry Burton needs to take a break somewhere peaceful. He and his sister Joanna rent a house in the little village of Lymstock, where they know no-one and hope to be able to relax. Their quiet life is shattered, however, by the arrival of an obscene...

When a promising young dancer collapses during the opening tango of the festival, Lily Richmond, dance legend, teacher and one-time world champion, is convinced that murder is afoot. There’s only one person who can help her delve into the mystery: her former student and private detective, Susie Cooper. But Susie vowed she’d never return to the ballroom – let alone go undercover as a professional dancer when there’s a killer on the loose.

*The thrilling new novel from Lucy Clarke, THE SURF HOUSE, is available to buy now* ‘Impossible to put down' Clare Mackintosh Seven years ago, two boys went missing at sea – and only one was brought to shore. The Sandbank, a remote stretch of coast dotted with beach huts, was scarred forever...

Have you ever felt the Covid story did not entirely add up? Expired contains multiple eye-opening revelations about Covid with compelling evidence that provides a coherent, sober, and clear explanation that better fits the data we have so far.

It's no secret that addictive digital technologies like smartphones and social media apps are harming a generation of kids socially, mentally, and even physically. But a workable solution seems elusive. After all, don't kids need phones, and won't they be vulnerable or socially isolated without tech? Clare Morell, fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and director of its Technology and Human Flourishing Project, argues that the answer is 'no'. She exposes the lies parents have been sold about managing the dangers of tech through parental controls and screen-time limits.

Crowned ‘the greatest imaginative novelist of our generation’ by EM Forster, DH Lawrence has an undisputed place in England's canon of great authors. In this wide-ranging collection, dramatisations and readings of some of his major works are brought together, exploring themes such as romantic love and sexual desire, individual freedom, class division, war, the beauty of nature and the ugliness of industrialisation.

When she was in her mid-thirties, Marian Evans transformed herself into George Eliot - an author celebrated for her genius as soon as she published her debut novel. During those years she also found her life partner, George Lewes - writer, philosopher and married father of three. After 'eloping' to Berlin in 1854 they lived together for twenty-four years: Eliot asked people to call her 'Mrs Lewes' and dedicated each novel to her 'Husband'. Though they could not legally marry, she felt herself initiated into the 'great experience' of marriage.

When elderly Walter Shoebridge hires Hester Rose to guide his family through his final days, he hopes to ease their grief. But as old wounds and hidden truths come to light, Hester finds herself entangled in a web of betrayal and deception. A furious son disinherited from his legacy. A daughter haunted by the possibility that she hastened her father’s death. And a shadowy name in the will all lead to a shocking revelation that threatens to destroy what’s left of the family.

When a battle-hardened MC Enforcer comes across sheltered Riley Maddock, he makes an immediate decision that upends both their lives. Gunner Scarred from the battlefield. I ride, fight, and fuck alongside my Brothers in the Northern Grizzlies. Until the day I see her and her anguish cuts away all I've become. She's too young for me yet, but I make sure she knows she'll belong to me. Then she stands up to me, and I'm absolutely hooked. Even after I find out who her parents are, and what that'll mean to my MC. Riley Poor little rich girl. I know that's what everyone thinks when they look at me.

Successful Misty is happy living with her perfect boyfriend until he tells her he is leaving. Elegant Gwen is excited about the new man in her life until she discovers he's been lying to her. Angry Babs has the love of her life lured away, first by Misty then by Gwen, and she wants revenge. Long-suffering Dee is a wife who takes her wandering husband back every single time. When the lives of these four women collide, the results are deadly.

AD81. The Roman Emperor Domitian seizes power. Afflicted by classic paranoia, the self-styled Master and God sees enemies everywhere - and he is right. The Senate loathes him, his advisers are terrified, he cannot trust his wife and barbarians menace the frontiers. As he vents his suspicions, no...

Ursula is unable to face up to the tragedy that consumes her, her world has shrunk to an almost unrecognisable state. Then Alice, who’s in the first flush of her relationship with Simon who seems perfectly normal—except that he flinches at the slightest touch. And Gareth, who lives a humdrum life as he struggles to cope with his mum’s increasing dementia. She can’t remember much about her days—not even when a postcard from his long-dead father comes through the door. None of these three strangers have ever met, but their worlds will soon collide.

When old Admiral Trigg and his sister Lucy died, their house, Tullivers, stood empty for many months. Then one bright April day, some discreet onlookers saw a good-looking woman pushing her way through the nettles to the front door.

In the quaint town of Hoslewit, the biggest names in crime writing have congregated to celebrate all things bookish and murderous. With a programme packed with seminars and signings, egos and alcohol, it's sure to be a thrilling weekend. Author Jane Hepburn is determined this is going to be her year. She's not quite reached the heady heights of best-sellerdom yet, but is convinced that if she can just make the right connections at the festival, it could be the start of a whole new chapter for her and her books. Then her literary agent is killed, and Jane's plans are derailed.