Showing results by narrator "Jessica Preddy" in All Categories

Corsica, 1993. Seventeen-year-old Séverine Guimard knows in her heart that it's only a matter of time before she'll escape this provincial island for Hollywood's glimmering lights. Until then, she'll spend her days listening to "What is Love" on her Walkman, smoking cigarettes, and riding her bike at dusk along the picturesque roads that wind around her parents' gated villa. That is until three masked men emerge from an idling car, tear her from her bike, duct tape her mouth and wrists, and take her somewhere hidden from prying eyes...

In the wake of their terrifying escape from Fairhaven Hall, sisters Jess and Hannah Ballard find themselves on the run, pursued by the two most powerful groups in the history of the spirit world. On one side, the Durupinen, determined to capture the girls and prevent their role in an ancient prophecy that promises to destroy them and unleash the spirit hordes on the earth. On the other side, the Necromancers, ancient enemies of the Durupinen, hell-bent on bringing the same prophecy to fruition. When the girls are betrayed and one of them falls into the Necromancers’ hands, both face decisions with cataclysmic consequences.

Decades tend to crest halfway through, and 1995 was the year of the Nineties: peak Britpop (Oasis v Blur), peak YBA (Tracey Emin's tent), peak New Lad (when Nick Hornby published High Fidelity, when James Brown's Loaded detonated the publishing industry, and when pubs were finally allowed to...

Birds, Strangers and Psychos is a thrilling anthology that brings together the biggest names in mystery and crime fiction to pay homage to Alfred Hitchcock, the legendary filmmaker whose name is synonymous with suspense. Acclaimed editor Maxim Jakubowski curates 24 original short stories, each inspired by the mood, tension, and style that defined Hitchcock’s groundbreaking work.

Drew Harrington knows exactly who he is—a legal shark with a love ‘em and leave ‘em attitude that works just fine in his cutthroat world. He’s on the cusp of being named a partner in his firm, but only if he can prove to his colleagues that he has a more human side. Becky Fletcher is running from her past, so the last thing she’s looking for is love. What she does want is a friendly face in a cold city. Her sunny outlook is the perfect opposite to Drew’s hard exterior, but can she afford to let down her guard?

A brilliant, slyly humorous dissection of wealth, power and the tragedies even money can't fix for fans of The Secret History, The Corrections and Succession, Somebody Down There Likes Me asks what might happen if we finally get what we deserve.

Sixteen-year-old Mila lives in LA with her mom and A-list actor dad, whose fame constantly thrusts their lives into the media spotlight. But when Mila’s antics around town make waves ahead of her dad’s next big movie, something needs to be done. So Mila is dispatched 2,000 miles away to Nashville, Tennessee, where she can cool off for the summer with her aunt and grandfather. The perfect solution - right? Mila’s not so sure. She’s dreading the idea of a summer away from her friends, not to mention being shipped to the other side of the country.

After the dramatic events of their mission to St Petersburg, Sophie and Lil know the truth - there's a double-agent at work at the Secret Service Bureau. Whilst Lil pursues a dangerous line of enquiry in London, Sophie must set out on a new mission to Venice, following a twisted trail to discover long-buried secrets. But there are villains lurking amongst the city's piazzas, canals and crumbling palaces, and in the shadows an old enemy lies in wait....

One hundred days after humanity was brought to its knees, Elizabeth Marter has joined a small group of survivors in Boston. Under constant attack from scavengers who live beyond the city limits, Elizabeth and the others desperately try to come up with a plan. But when they learn that a more organized enemy is on the way, they realize that they face a battle for what's left of their resources.

Trapped in a ruined city, Elizabeth and her brother, Henry, try to avoid the dangers that seem to lurk on every street. But even when they manage to get home, they face an entirely different kind of threat. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, Thomas struggles to keep his brother alive. First, though, he needs to find out what happened to his father, and he also has to make a difficult decision about his ailing mother.

Chronically single Kate is winning at life. She's finally saved enough to live alone in her dream home, she has a great group of friends, and she has—at last—perfected the ultimate chocolate cake. So what if her love life is dead on arrival? When she finds out one of her oldest friends Andy is travelling abroad and needs her help, she decided to drop everything and fly out to him. Only problem is, Daniel, the mutual friend she blames for Andy's wild lifestyle, is coming with her. It's the first holiday abroad she's been able to afford in years, and she has to spend it with him?!

Two sisters, haunted by more than their past... Just weeks after discovering each other’s existence, Jess and Hannah Ballard arrive at Fairhaven Hall, where they will learn the clandestine ways of the Durupinen, an ancient sect of women who control the Gateways between the worlds of the living and the dead. Though they are considered outcasts by most of their classmates, Jess and Hannah are determined to learn what they can to fulfill their responsibility to the many ghosts that haunt them. But danger, it seems, has followed them as closely as a shadow to their new home. 

Top Secret Agents Sophie Taylor and Lil Rose have set sail to New York City on an elegant ocean liner, ready to face their enemies and settle old scores. These two brave friends will need all of their detective skills, courage and derring-do as they race against time to rescue a beloved friend and save the city - and its inhabitants - from destruction and certain death.... 

Days 9 to 16 is the third title in the Mass Extinction Event series, continuing the story of a worldwide apocalypse seen from the eyes of two very different people in two different parts of the US. Finally realising that she must leave the city, Elizabeth sets out alone along a deserted road. Eventually, however, she encounters some fellow survivors, and before long she's taken to a remote farmhouse where a small community is struggling to take shape. She soon discovers, however, that this particular farmhouse hides some dark secrets.

When recently engaged Nat flips through a bridal magazine, she spots a quiz on page 111 about being ready for marriage. After failing it, she’s determined to prove it wrong. If only it was that easy. Getting married to Archie, whose smile makes her insides go funny, should be a dream come true. So why is it a total nightmare? 

Speech therapist, Trinity Redfern, knows her perfect match is out there somewhere. And when she finds him he’ll be articulate, well-dressed and most of all he will let her call the shots. Reclusive rancher, Zane Nash, has heeded life’s lessons. Never trust anyone, especially a woman. But when he becomes an instant father to five-year-old Finn, he must trust the sassy speech therapist who takes over his ranch for the summer. Trinity is Finn’s last hope to learn to speak again.

When the body of pregnant 15-year-old Hope Lacey is discovered in a churchyard on Christmas morning, the community is shocked, but unsurprised. For Hope lived in The Home, the residence of three young girls, whose violent and disturbing pasts have seen them cloistered away. As a police investigation gets underway, the lives of Hope, Lara and Annie are examined, and the staff who work at the home are interviewed, leading to shocking and distressing revelations...and clear evidence that someone is seeking revenge.

Not too long ago, Cass was a promising young playwright in New York. But at the height of all this attention, she found herself at the centre of a searing public shaming and fled to Los Angeles to escape - and reinvent herself. Once there, she meets her next-door neighbour Caroline, an enigmatic filmmaker, who is constantly flanked by the stars of her current project: a group of teenage girls. As Cass is drawn into the film's orbit, she is awed by Caroline's drive and confidence. But over time, she becomes troubled by how deeply Caroline is manipulating the teens in the name of art.

The second instalment in the Taylor and Rose Secret Agents series from best-selling children’s author Katherine Woodfine. With Sophie still missing in action after their explosive mission in Paris, Lil decides to take matters into her own hands. On a new mission for the Secret Service Bureau, can Lil find Sophie in misty, mysterious St Petersburg? Can they uncover the identity of their true enemy and can they trust anyone - even the Bureau? It's time for Sophie and Lil to put their spy skills to the test.

Elle Littlewood can barely believe her luck when her producer tells her about the chance to get her hands on a dilapidated chateau in Aix-En-Provence, France for a rock bottom price. It seems too good to be true, but as a home interiors influencer, she knows this would make incredible content. Lately, Elle has noticed the cracks start to show. Her life is the envy of thousands, and her social media posts show a beautiful, accomplished woman. Yet this wasn't always the case. If they knew the truth about her past, they would never look at Elle the same way again.