Showing results by author "J. Fletcher" in All Categories

'Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea' is the tale of two enemies abandoned on a deserted island. Pierre Rochelle, a convict escaped from a French penal colony, has been living alone on a remote Pacific island for the past three years, with no means of escape. Then one day he finds a man asleep on the beach on the far side of the island. The new arrival has just been marooned by his mutineering shipmates. Even as he still sleeps, Rochelle recognizes him as Gaston Charette - his own mortal enemy, the man whose false testimony had sent him to the penal colony in the first place.

Born in poverty, transported for theft, and in love with a charismatic but dangerous man - for Cat Haggard the Tasmanian Governor’s House is not merely a beautiful building but a symbol of all she hopes to obtain in life. From convict, bushranger, and accused pirate, Cat transforms herself into an entrepreneur and pillar of colonial Tasmanian society. But how is she connected to a missing ship?

There was only one way she could guarantee her future ... and she knew that she would take it. Bella Tucker has come a long way. Born illegitimate and banished to the London slums by her vindictive stepmother, at six Bella is rescued by her grandfather and brought up as a member of the aristocratic Richmond family. Her future seems assured when she falls passionately in love with Charles Hardy, heir to the wealthy Hardy estate – until her grandfather’s death changes everything...

The new compelling saga from Australia's master storyteller. Journalist Thea Anderson’s adventurous life has been one of endless danger. Even her childhood, where she and her mother were forced to flee Malaya in the fish-stinking hold of a junk in the dying days of colonialism, was fraught with peril. For a time it seemed she would find safe harbour in Tasmania in the arms of winemaker Peter Torrance, but her restless spirit cannot be contained....

'The Malachite Jar' is a detective story. An eminent magistrate, an antiquarian book and antique collector, has been found dead. The post mortem indicates that he was poisoned. But who could possibly have a motive for the murder? Various members of the community come forward with information, each of which points to a different solution to the puzzle...but which is correct?

1826, Van Diemen's Land. When her father dies in a duel, 17-year-old Emma Tregellas is left with limited funds and at the mercy of her odious guardian. Faced with the prospect of being forced into marriage with a man she detests, she enlists the help of her true love, Ephraim Dark, who assists her to escape to faraway Van Diemen's Land. Here she seeks sanctuary with her wealthy uncle, Barnsley Tregellas.

Fighting her way from humble beginnings in a foster home to CEO of her own highly respected international company hasn't been easy for Hilary Brand. Even after she seems to have reached the top, troubles abound: her business in China, always fraught with problems, is in peril; and her archnemesis, Haskins Gould - once her closest business associate but now her greatest enemy - is gaining traction in his unceasing determination to destroy all she has created.

This is the story of four remarkable women. Dorrie, who in the dying years of the 19th century, dares to defy the conventions of her time by running away with an artist. The ambitious Roberta, who rides roughshod over all opposition in her single-minded desire to reach her goals. The gentle Louise, who defies her own nature to find the strength to pursue her personal happiness. And finally Ruth, who survived the terrors of the Second World War only to be trapped in a loveless marriage.

No-one thought barmaid Shannon Harcourt stood a chance with Hal Maitland, heir to the vast Maitland fortune. Yet their unlikely relationship flourishes until, one summer's day on the white sands of Charles Green Island, they realise their true feelings for each other - feelings that must motivate them to survive the coming war. Forty years on, Shannon, a successful businesswoman, and younger sister Jess, an accomplished chef, have left their days of poverty far behind. Shannon now has her sights set on purchasing the island where her young love began.

The main characters are Dr. Mark Ransford, his two wards, Mary and Dick Bewery, and one Dr. Pemberton Bryce - an assistant to Dr. Ransford. Bryce makes unwelcome advances to Mary Bewery and Ransford, after having warned him against these advances, dismisses Bryce. Bryce sets out to make Mary his own while suspecting Ransford and implicate him in the murders. A surprising twist toward the end of the story.

This story, originally published as Black Money in 1922, by Joseph Smith Fletcher (1863-1935), is a fast-paced thriller full of surprising twists and turns. Hetherwick, a young lawyer, becomes a witness to murder riding the train late one night. Of the two men who entered his train compartment, one drops dead, for no apparent reason, as the train pulls into Charing Cross station.

Have you ever heard of an orgo? They’re a creature you might not know. With long, thin necks, and only two legs, they tend to hang out in the snow. When Oscar the orgo hatches from his egg, it isn't long before he realizes that he can sing. The problem is, once Oscar starts singing, his mum can't make him stop! "A delightful, imaginative rhyming story with Oscar the super cute Orgo." (The Simple Mum) Join Oscar as he discovers why it is so important for him to sing his cheerful tune.

Set in the present, American Z is centered around a deeply rooted and disturbing evolution of the zombie in America, and the scientific T.S.O.M.B.I.E. [zom-bie] program. A powerful group of elitists, known as The Society, has been secretly controlling governments for years, and are now on the brink of being able to control humanity itself. One man believes he is destined to stop them and is willing to do whatever it takes, including betraying those closest to him. American Z is sure to slowly eat away at your conscious, long after putting it down.

Joseph Smith Fletcher (1863-1935) was a British journalist and author. He wrote more than 230 books on a wide variety of subjects, both fiction and nonfiction. He was one of the leading writers of detective fiction in the Victorian golden age of the short story. This collection brings together some of the finest and most diverse examples of Fletcher's genius. 'The Ivory God' is the tale of a failing writer who acquires a strange ivory carving of an Indian god. He becomes convinced that the statue is communicating with him, taking possession of him, even writing through him.

A wonderful collection of 50 phenomenal stories by the world’s great short story writers.

An entrancing collection of 50 great short stories by leading classic writers.

'The Other Sense' is the story of a young man, Angus MacIntyre, whose ability to see phenomena - ghosts in particular - which other people cannot has caused his guardian to think he is insane and send him to stay with Dr. Schreiber, who is specialised in mental disorders. While there, Angus begins to see the spectre of a pale young man who appears to be seeking something in the doctor's house and garden. Together with the doctor, Angus sets out to solve the mystery.

A fast-paced and varied collection of captivating short stories ranging from action thrillers to poignant tear-jerkers to the downright weird, including: "Jerry Bundler" by W. W. Jacobs, "The Umbrella Mender" by Beatrice Harraden, "Green Ink" by J. S. Fletcher, "Why Herbert Killed His Mother" by Winifred Holtby, "The Red Mark" by Israel Zangwill, "The White Kid Glove" by J. S. Fletcher, "Sophy Mason Comes Back" by E. M. Delafield, plus many more.

A delightful collection of light-hearted classic stories from some of the greatest Victorian and Edwardian-era writers.

Joseph Smith Fletcher (1863-1935) was a British journalist and author. He wrote more than 230 books on a wide variety of subjects, both fiction and nonfiction. He was one of the leading writers of detective fiction in the Victorian golden age of the short story. This collection brings together some of the finest and most diverse examples of Fletcher's genius.