Showing results by narrator "Ciaran Saward" in All Categories

'Wise, comprehensive and brilliantly succinct' OWEN MATTHEWS, author of Stalin's Children When Joseph Stalin died in 1953, he had been the unchallenged leader of the Soviet Union for over twenty years, having presided over the ruthless modernisation of the early 1930s, the Great Purges later in the decade, the near-catastrophe and ultimate victory of World War II, and the country’s postwar emergence as a superpower. He was surrounded by a cult that made him seem godlike; no successors were in sight. His death was bound to be a deeply unsettling event, both in the Soviet Union and elsewhere.

The threat of nuclear war is no longer scary. This is much worse. It's invisible. It works quickly. And it's coming. The scourge has already infected and killed half the population in China and it is heading towards the UK. There is no time to escape. The British government sees no way out other than to distribute 'Dignity Pills' to its citizens – one last night with family or loved ones before going to sleep forever … together.

Through extensive research, expert sourcing and interviews with insiders, Britain’s most celebrated investigative biographer, Tom Bower, has unearthed a succession of revelations that give surprising insight into the reality of ‘Brand Beckham’. Exploring the couple’s relationship, and the truth about their football and fashion careers, their finances and their new life in Miami, The House of Beckham unravels the extraordinary reality of the business-savvy cultural icons to tell an engrossing, often astonishing story of money, sex and power.

When Monkey is sent into space by a team of scientists, he thinks everything will be smooth sailing. But not everything goes according to plan, and soon Monkey's spaceship crash-lands in a forest, disrupting the peaceful atmosphere. Convinced that he has discovered a new world, power-mad (but mostly incompetent) Monkey claims the forest as his own and determines that all other animals must be banished, including his soon-to-be nemesis, Bunny.

He was the sexy, gorgeous-as-hell older stranger with piercing blue eyes fixated on me. Annoyed. The perfect candidate for a holiday fling. You’re hired. It was my final summer of fun before I moved to London to start my trainee contract at Madison Legal, London's most elite law firm. Three of the steamiest nights of my life…until it ended in heartbreak.

The last time Conrad was unemployed, he got a visit from the Allfather. Look where that got him.... And now the Gnomes of Lakeland want him to be the new Commissioner. A simple job: Sort out the Assessors and put the Grand Union on a stable footing. They’re even willing to pay for an assistant to help him with the difficult magick stuff. What could possibly go wrong?

In a sleepy Devon village, a woman is taken from the streets. Local vet Jenny is horrified. This kind of thing doesn’t happen here. But it’s not the first time she’s been so close to a crime scene. The daughter of a prolific serial killer, she’s spent her whole life running from who she really is. And the crime is harrowingly similar to those her father committed all those years ago.

What’s it like to live forever? Alicia is about to find out... Just because you don’t grow old, it doesn't mean you won’t die a violent death at the hands of your broodmates. Or the Queen who laid your egg. From the moment she hatches in the Derwent Sídhe, Alicia is fighting. For her life. To gain position. To become an adult. And then, the moment she drops her wings and emerges, the fun really starts.

The Maniacal Badger has arrived, and he's determined to take over the Woods! Wasn't that Monkey's plan? This cannot happen! What japes await in this brand-new adventure, when Bunny and Monkey team up to beat this new menace?! They've never managed to work together before. And will Skunky rediscover his passion for evil inventions, to defeat his rival at their own game? One thing's for sure ... laughs are guaranteed!

Aboard the SS Campari, all is not well. For Johnny Carter, the Chief Officer, the voyage has already begun badly; but it’s only when the Campari sails that evening, after a succession of delays that he realises something is seriously wrong. A member of the crew is suddenly missing and the stern-to-stern search only serves to increase tension. Then violence erupts and suddenly the whole ship is in danger. Is the Campari a victim of modern day piracy? And what of the strange cargo hidden below the decks?

Danny Walker, my big brother’s arrogant, powerful, handsome, and completely unobtainable best friend. He’s a ruthless tech tycoon, and I take calls from angry clients who can’t reset their passwords. He lives in a Grade II listed mansion with holiday homes worldwide, and I rent a room in a flat-share with my best friend and mice.

There's a new animal joining Bunny and the gang. Ai – a supersonic, super-fast aye-aye! But how will Ai fit in to the Woods? What mischievous schemes is Skunky cooking up? And will Monkey ever stop trying to hit her with a stick?

Since he crashed-landed to earth in a rocket, Monkey has been causing absolute mayhem! Bunny and the gang have almost had enough. In this rollicking comic extravaganza, the pint sized friends must tackle a helliphant, rocket-powered hot air balloons and the most mind-boggling creatures of all ... ‘hew--mans’ ...

Billionaire property tycoon Jack Knight is propping up the UK rich list and keeping the national tabloids ablaze with his scandalous love life. And making my life hell. To him, I’m just another architect in a small design firm bidding for his latest prestigious project. To me, he’s a ruthless businessman who plays people like pawns. I should know. I’d rather work for Satan on designing Hell than have to answer to him.

Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics. He can summon butterflies with a song or turn someone's hair pink by snapping his fingers. Such minor charms don't earn him much admiration from other sorcerers (or his father), but anything more elaborate always blows up in his face. Which is why Leo vowed years ago to never again write powerful magic. That is, until a mix-up involving a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime nemesis, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is Leo's complete opposite - respected, exceptionally talented, and an absolutely insufferable curmudgeon.

Agatha Christie is recognized throughout the world as the writer of remarkable country house mysteries and ingenious murders set in faraway countries. Yet many of her books and stories were set in the city she new best and for many years called home: London. From Poirot's flat in Whitehaven Mansions to Scotland Yard, the Old Bailey to Harley Street, Lyons Tea Rooms to the Savoy, Paddington Station to the London Underground, Agatha Christie knew and loved London, and mined it for its rich seam of storytelling opportunities.

When the air is clear, sixteen-year-old Drew Ferran can pick up the scent of a predator. When the moon breaks through the clouds, a terrifying fever grips him. And when a vicious beast invades his home, his flesh tears, his fingers become claws, and Drew transforms. Forced to flee the family he loves, Drew seeks refuge in the most godforsaken parts of Lyssia. But when he is captured by Lord Bergan's men, Drew must prove he is not the enemy. Can Drew battle the werecreatures determined to destroy him - and master the animal within?

Since he crash-landed to Earth in a rocket, Monkey has been causing absolute mayhem! Bunny and the gang (Squirrel, Pig [the Pig], Action Beaver and Skunky the Inventor) have almost had enough. Monkey's eternal struggle for world domination is getting more ridiculous every day, and it's impossible to predict which bizarre plan he's going to put into action next ...

Conrad Clarke is about to get married. Could life get any better for the Lord Guardian of the North? The Codex Defanatus is sealed away, peace has been cemented in the Lakeland Particular and as far as he knows, no one is out to get him. Time to relax....If only.

People often think of imagination as something used only in creative endeavours. In fact, we use imagination constantly as we reminisce, anticipate, plan, daydream, read, create imagined worlds. The truth is we live in the here and now much less than we tend to think. Imagination isn’t the exception in our daily lives; it’s our default setting. Yet only now are we beginning to understand exactly how it works. From hallucination to sleepwalking, from REM sleep to delusions, neurologist Adam Zeman brilliantly guides us through the latest scientific studies in the world of the imagination.