Showing results by narrator "Stephen Hogan" in All Categories

September 1943: German forces occupy Rome. SS officer Paul Hauptmann rules with terror. The war's outcome is far from certain. An Irish priest, Hugh O'Flaherty, dedicates himself to helping those escaping from the Nazis. His home is Vatican City, the world's smallest state, a neutral, independent country within Rome where the occupiers hold no sway. Here Hugh brings together an unlikely band of friends to hide the vulnerable under the noses of the enemy. But Hauptmann's net begins closing in on the Escape Line and the need for a terrifyingly audacious mission grows critical.

Fifteen-year-old Ryan is running away from home, looking for escape and adventure. But unfortunately, sometimes people do get what they wish for. Ryan hasn’t gone far before he is set upon by a bunch of scary, nihilistic punk-sorcerers who need him to set off a doomsday device that will destroy the planet and everyone on it. Fun! Riding to the rescue, however, is a certain skeleton detective and his teenage partner/combat accessory. Now Skulduggery and Valkyrie only have a few hours to figure out what's going on, while saving Ryan and – incidentally – the whole world.

Diverse and moving, these six outstanding stories are meditations on grief and loss, love, communication and loneliness. Each one will take the reader on a brief yet unforgettable journey into private worlds and unexpected corners of the human heart.

A day in the life of Leopold Bloom, an ordinary man living in Dublin, unfolds into an extraordinary journey of self-discovery and exploration. Through a stream-of-consciousness narrative, Joyce weaves together the lives of Bloom, Stephen Dedalus, and Molly Bloom as they navigate the complexities of identity, love, and the human experience.

'The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new.' So opens Murphy, Samuel Beckett's first novel, published in 1938. Its work-shy eponymous hero, adrift in London, realises that desire can never be satisfied and withdraws from life, in search of stupor. Murphy's lovestruck fiancée, Celia, tries with tragic pathos to draw him back, but her attempts are doomed to failure. In Dublin, Murphy's friends and familiars are simulacra of him, fragmented and incomplete. They come to London in search of him.

For too long the people of Tír na nÓg have suffered under the dominion of the drunes: strange druids who have poisoned the land with their magic. Sláine has had enough of their tyranny and, through the Earth Goddess, he learns some shocking truths about the priesthood and his own future. Now Sláine must unite the four kings of Tír na nÓg and use their mystical weapons as he and the Sessair tribe prepare for all-out war!

Random House presents the audiobook edition of From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan, read by Stephen Hogan, Gerry O'Brien and Ramon Tikaram. Farouk’s country has been torn apart by war. Lampy’s heart has been laid waste by Chloe. John’s past torments him as he nears his end. The refugee. The dreamer. The penitent. From war-torn Syria to small-town Ireland, three men, scarred by all they have loved and lost, are searching for some version of home. Each is drawn towards a powerful reckoning, one that will bring them together in the most unexpected of ways.

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Last Stories by William Trevor, read by Niamh Cusack, Stephen Hogan and Tara Fitzgerald. In this final collection of ten exquisite, perceptive and profound stories, William Trevor probes into the depths of the human spirit. Here we encounter a tutor and his pupil, whose lives are thrown into turmoil when they meet again years later; a young girl who discovers the mother she believed dead is alive and well; and a piano teacher who accepts her pupil's theft in exchange for his beautiful music.

An intense exploration of love and uncertainty when a long-married couple, Gerry and Stella, take a midwinter break in Amsterdam to refresh the senses, do some sightseeing and generally take stock of their lives. Their relationship seems easy, familiar - but over its course we discover the deep uncertainties between them. Gerry, once an architect, is forgetful and set in his ways. Stella is tired of his lifestyle and angry at his constant undermining of her religious faith.

Welcome to Ballyrowan. This sleepy corner of rural Ireland may seem tranquil, but scratch the surface and you'll find a hotbed of gossip and intrigue - endless material for mouthing - and a town full of people only too happy to oblige in spreading the bad news. Narrated by several generations of villagers, Mouthing traces the fortunes of one small community from the mid-20th century to the early 21st, in a series of highly confessional and darkly hilarious monologues.

In this comprehensive anthology, former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion has gathered together exceptional poems from the 14th century through to the present day, creating an extraordinary poetic journey for the listener. From the love poems of Shelley and Keats to the grim war elegies of Owen and Sassoon, there is a poem here for every sentiment, each with something different to offer.

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Michael O'Leary by Matt Cooper, read by Stephen Hogan. September 2017. Ryanair cancels over 700,000 bookings, and its powerful PR juggernaut comes shuddering to a halt. For once, the airline's aggressive and flamboyant CEO, Michael O'Leary, is contrite and apologetic. A month later Ryanair announces increased passenger traffic for October, year-on-year growth and increased profits. Its share price soars. For the moment, it appears, a fundamental shake-up of Europe's biggest airline is off the table.

All alone in the bath, five-year-old Benny invents a story about a terrifying creature that lives in the plughole. Just as he reaches the part about the creature’s appetite for toes, Benny feels something brush against his legs....

One hundred years ago, H.P. Lovecraft created the Necronomicon, a grimoire of lost souls, magical rites and forbidden lore. Now, locked away, the hoarder of horror is after new voices, new blood, to add to his collection. Listen as he shares the tales that come to him, whispered through the keyhole and written in the dust. From ghost stories to encounters with demons, haunted houses and a fateful Celtic goddess, they will draw you into his claustrophobic and disturbing world.

Debauched pop star Howie Howden has led a charmed life – there has been nothing a fat cheque, a non-disclosure agreement or a course of penicillin hasn’t made go away. But a calamitous night on the town, with his troubled yet dutiful manager Eddy Katz, has consequences for both men.

Anxiety, pain and illness, unpleasant encounters with people, low self-esteem, conditions such as long Covid-19 - these are issues that can become part of our lives without consuming our whole lives. Unhappiness and resentment can eat away at us when we ruminate and overthink a moment, but acceptance can give us our lives back even if it cannot give back something we have lost. This isn't about dropping all negativity - it's about experiencing feelings such as anxiety, regret and anger and relating to them in a way that doesn't allow them to take over our lives.

Published in 1820 and written by the Protestant curate Charles Maturin, Melmoth the Wanderer is considered one of the greatest works of Gothic literature. Consisting of a series of stories within stories, the narrative features the scholar John Melmoth, condemned to wander the earth in search of a victim to take his place and free him from his eternal torment.

A collection of taut psychological dramas from one of radio’s leading thriller writers. Simon Passmore is an acclaimed author and scriptwriter, who has also produced numerous films and TV series including Foyle’s War. This box set features all six of his compelling, character-driven radio dramas, each writhing with twists and heavy on menace.

The Irish Classics Collection is a wide-ranging collection of 9 classic works of fiction and poetry by Irish authors, read by an award-winning cast of narrators. Included here are stories by some of the greatest writers of all time, including James Joyce; Bram Stoker; Oscar Wilde; W.B. Yeats; Elizabeth Bowen; and more.

A natural on a horse since he was able to walk, and imbued with a pure love of riding, Declan Murphy became one of the most brilliant jockeys of his generation before his world came crashing down at the final hurdle of a race at Haydock Park. His skull shattered in 12 places, he was believed to be dead, the last rites were read and the Racing Post published his obituary. Miraculously, and the word is not used lightly, he survived and defied medical thinking in recovering to the extent that 18 months after his fall, he was able to saddle up for one more race.