Showing results by narrator "Jack Hawkins" in All Categories

'The situation as far as I'm concerned', says the young narrator-hero of MF, 'is an interesting one. In two days in a strange country I've acquired a mother in the form of a Welsh-speaking Bird Queen who scares me. I've spent some hours in prison, I've discovered the works of an unknown superlative artist in a garden shed and I've been shot at by a riddling lion-faced expert on Bishop Berkeley. Most interesting of all I'm due tonight to be married by a circus clown to my own sister.'

Years after a violent war destroyed much of the world, Kaspar has grown up in a society based on peace and harmony. But beyond the city walls, a vicious band of rebels are plotting to tear this peace apart. It is up to the Guardians - an elite peacekeeping force - to protect the city, without ever resorting to the brutal methods of their enemy. When Kaspar joins the Guardians, he has a chance encounter with a rebel - a beautiful girl named Rhea.

Dinty Moore set out to explore America's fascination with Buddhism and found himself enthralled. You will be too, as Moore takes you into the world of American-style Buddhism, from a mountain retreat for executives learning to deal with stress to a Tibetan Freedom Concert with the Beastie Boys.

With his father dead, Martyn has a choice. Tell the police what happened - and be suspected of murder. Or get rid of the body and get on with the rest of his life. Simple, right? Not quite. One story leads to another. Secrets and lies become darker and crazier. And Martyn is faced with twist and turns that leave him reeling. Life is never easy. But death is even harder.

When Stitch Head sees his ice-blue eye for the very first time, he's convinced that it once belonged to the legendary pirate Captain Flashpowder. Could it be that he is part pirate? But as Stitch Head prepares for a life on the high seas, some fishy business closer to home puts a stop to his swashbuckling plan....

The inspiring story of Ben Smith – who ran 401 marathons in 401 days with minimal support, to raise money for Stonewall and Kidscape. On 1 September 2015, Ben Smith set out from Bristol. Over the next 401 days, he would burn an estimated 2.4 million calories; run with almost 10,000 people; inspire almost 600 first-time marathon runners and visit 101 schools. He would also raise in excess of £325,000 for charity.

A new translation of Simenon's gripping novel about lives transformed by deceit and the destructive power of lust. It was all real: himself, the room, Andrée still lying on the ravaged bed. For Tony and Andrée, there are no rules when they meet in the blue room at the Hôtel des Voyageurs. Their adulterous affair is intoxicating, passionate - and dangerous. Soon it turns into a nightmare from which there can be no escape.

Tyrone Lewis is messing about in the woods, trying to keep out of trouble, when he stumbles upon something weird... a glowing lump of rock or metal. Whatever it is, it gives him an amazing power. Which is cool at first, until Ty’s new powers start attracting attention, and soon he’s being followed by two sinister agents who seem intent on ‘collecting’ him. But Ty has no intention of letting that happen. So now he’s got to run....

Twins Burt and Cameron are in competition with each other about everything. When they hear the Queen wants moose cheese – which is near-impossible to make – they embark on a dangerous world-wide venture to collect the ingredients for the Queen. Only they are so busy being in competition with each other, they don’t even notice Dr X, another competitor, steal all their ingredients to claim the prize himself. And worse, the twins uncover Dr X’s plot to poison the Queen with his moose cheese!

The first time Alfie sees the boy, he appears as if from nowhere in the school detention room – the ‘padded cell’. There’s something odd about him and Alfie is definitely not pleased when he realises the boy has nicked his new jacket. But a ghost? His new friend Sarah is convinced – so convinced she is prepared to ghost-watch with him. And that’s when the warning message appears, scratched out on the blackboard by a phantom hand.

Finally free of devious bogles, Barnaby Figg and his parents are working happily at Granny Hogsflesh’s Pickle Factory. But when Barnaby’s mum goes missing along with the pickled remains of Belchetta Ballybog, it can only mean one thing: the bogles want revenge and they’re determined to bring down Granny Hogsflesh once and for all.

There’s more than meets the eye to Granny Hogsflesh and her pickling empire, but even Barnaby couldn’t have guessed how much more. Nor could he possibly have imagined what actually happened to his dad, who, burping and slurping, mysteriously disappeared into the night... What has Granny done? Enter the hilarious and disgusting world of bogles and pickling with a delightfully eccentric cast and deliciously dark humour.

At long last, irrepressible panda cub Ping is leaving the safety of his nature reserve to embark on a journey of a lifetime! Will Ping and his new friend Little Bear enjoy their freedom, or will the shadows, and the bandits, and the lurking snow leopards have them running for home-sweet-home?

It’s time for Ping the panda cub to meet his public in this hilarious Awesome Animals adventure by award-winning author, Jamie Rix. Ping the panda lives with his mum and twin sister An on the Wolong Nature reserve in China. Although his name means peaceful in Chinese, he’s anything but! Ping craves adventure and excitement but unfortunately he is a panda… and pandas do pretty much nothing except eat bamboo for around 14 hours a day and poo up to 40 times a day.

He's back! Join Stitch Head, a mad professor's creation, in the adventure of an almost-lifetime. The orphans at Castle Grotteskew are running riot - and getting hungry. With no food in the castle, Stitch Head and Arabella head down to Grubbers Nubbin to see what they can pilfer, but there they encounter a terrifying, savage beast. Could one of the professor's creations be on the loose?

When Stitch Head's human friend Arabella is sent away to an orphanage, Stitch Head leaves Castle Grotteskew and its creatures behind and sets out on a daring rescue. But a gruesome monster awaits, and soon Stitch Head is trapped in its web with no chance of escape....

When 11-year-old Stefan tells his little brother on Christmas Eve that Santa isn’t real, he totally expects to be grounded. What he doesn’t expect is for his name to land at the top of the Naughty List and for a demon named Krampus to creep down his chimney. Narrowly escaping an attack from Krampus, Stefan falls into The Land Christmas Forgot - a dark place where wolves are made of shadow and evil snowmen roam the forests.

Things will never be the same again... Ben is driving on the motorway, on his usual commute to the school where he works. A day like any other, except for Adam, who in a last despairing act jumps in front of Ben's car, and in killing himself, turns the teacher's world upside down. Wracked with guilt and desperate to clear his conscience, Ben develops a friendship with Alice, Adam's widow, and her seven-year-old son, Max. But as he tries to escape the trauma of the wreckage, could Ben go too far in trying to make amends?

The Beauty of the End is a gripping psychological thriller from Debbie Howells, author of the bestselling Richard and Judy Book Club success, The Bones of You. I was fourteen when I fell in love with a goddess . . . A love he'd never forget Ex-lawyer Noah has never forgotten his first love. When...

Stephanie doesn’t believe in fate, true love, or living happily ever after. She’s content enough being married to Matt. But then she meets Jamie, who understands her more than anyone else ever has. Jamie’s married to his childhood sweetheart and believes in everything Stephanie doesn’t. He’s happy with Helen. So why does he have such a strong connection with Stephanie? When Stephanie and Jamie meet one fateful weekend in 2006, it sparks a tumultuous relationship that spans over a decade. The day they meet changes everything....