Showing results by narrator "Colleen Prendergast" in All Categories

Former investment banker Johan Golding - Joe to his friends - is the newest member of the Hartley and Edwards Investigations team. And he's thrilled to be shadowing Kitt Hartley, librarian-turned-top sleuth, and her right-hand woman Grace Edwards; even if it means adjusting to the low-level madness that seems to reign in the Hartley and Edwards offices. But Joe finds himself thrown in at the deep end when a man known as Ralph Holmes goes missing on the outskirts of Carlisle.

When a violent murder shatters the otherwise peaceful idyll of Andaby near Hebden Bridge, DS Charlotte Banks can't help but suspect that her brother Ewan—recently released from prison and now living in Calderdale—is behind it. Ewan claims he's innocent, and even has an alibi to prove it, but DS Banks isn't convinced. So much so that she turns to the only people who can help her in an investigation this personal: Kitt Hartley and Grace Edwards, of Hartley and Edwards Investigations.

When Arora receives a call telling her that a child she's never met is claiming to be her missing sister reincarnated, she is devastated. . . as ridiculous as the allegations might seem. For three years she has been searching for her sister without finding a single clue, and now this strange child seems to have new information.

Some might say she’s crazy, that her sanity cracked the night she lost her business, her best friend, and her house in one great margarita-themed disaster. But not Lucy; she knows that the final straw was when Zack—Mr. "I’m your infuriatingly laid-back yet impossibly ripped new yoga teacher"—decided to put in a competing offer to buy her childhood home. Which, as it turns out, neither of them can actually afford. But Lucy isn’t a type-A perfectionist for nothing: There is no way she’s backing down without those front door keys in her hand.

The second instalment in the thrilling middle-grade Emily Lime Mystery series by best-selling author Dave Shelton! It's a new term at St Rita's School for Spirited Girls and there are new mysteries for Emily, Daphne and George to solve! Who has stolen a painting from Pilkington Art Gallery? (And why? It’s not even a very good one!) How can they get rid of a new headmistress who threatens the very future of the library? And why are there cows all over the sports field? Expect the unexpected as Emily Lime investigates!

Mary is a driver for the ATA and although she yearns to fly a Spitfire, she fears her humble background will hold her back. After all, glamorous Angela is set to be the next ‘Atta Girl’ on recruitment posters. Bobbie learned to fly in her father’s private plane, and Jean was taught the queen’s English at grammar school before joining the squad. Dedicated and resilient, the three girls rule the skies: weathering storms and dodging enemy fire. Mary can only dream of joining them - until she gets the push she needs to overcome her self-doubt.

The peace of Kielder Water is shattered when tourists open a barrel they found floating in the reservoir at dawn. Detectives Stone and Oliver are called to examine the skeletal remains inside. The tourists are eliminated from the investigation, but that same day a second body is discovered - this one with skin. Have the police let the killer leave the scene? While Stone investigates the remains, Oliver travels to Iceland to gather evidence and track down the tourists who have fled. Someone will do anything to protect the secrets of the past.

Lucy Brown has spent years hiding from the world, as far away as she could get from her old life–and her ex-husband–back in London. But when she reluctantly agrees to leave her safe haven to attend her old friend Ella’s wedding in Starshine Cove, little does she know what’s in store for her down in Dorset… When a chance airport encounter with a handsome stranger unexpectedly leads to a deeper connection, Lucy finds her trip becoming much more than just a last-minute holiday. But then her dark past comes knocking, just as she always feared it would.

Helen Dexter is enjoying the new four-star status of the Seaview Hotel. But she begins to wonder if this accolade is cursed when a series of disasters strike. It starts when a crazy golf team arrive to play in a Scarborough tournament. Their odd behaviour heightens when the rival team captain turns up. Yet, there's worse to come for Helen when one of the guests is murdered playing crazy golf. Then the Seaview's prize-winning cook Jean quits, leaving Helen devastated. And so, as Helen's fiftieth birthday approaches, the last thing she's in the mood for is a celebration.

Lifting the Fire Hydrant Lid follows idealistic young recruit Kate Fullen as she negotiates training school and settles into life on the watch. With incidents and routine tasks woven into the fabric of the story, it describes the consuming pressure, emotional turmoil and unpredictable nature of the job. Utilising the rare perspective of a northern, queer, working-class female firefighter, Lifting the Fire Hydrant Lid examines the more intricate difficulties experienced by minority groups and gives a voice to a profession that is seldom heard and rarely seen.

When Kate Mitchell was offered the job of part-time secretary at Tor-Fret, a lonely old house on the Northumberland fells, she had no idea that the household was composed only of men. Her employer, Maurice Rossiter, an embittered victim of polio, was subject to alternate fits of temper and depression. Even so, Kate found it difficult to understand his peculiar hatred of his elder brother Logan, on whose charity Maurice was obliged to depend. But when she accidentally stumbled upon Maurice with Logan's fiancée, she became aware of some of the secrets of Tor-Fret.

On a snowy winter morning, an abandoned shipping container is discovered near Reykjavík. Inside are the bodies of five young women - one of them barely alive. As Icelandic Police detective Daníel struggles to investigate the most brutal crime of his career, Áróra looks into the background of a suspicious man, who turns out to be engaged to Daníel's former wife, and the connections don't stop there.

What brings people together often throws them apart, especially when it involves family. Ordinarily a close and loyal unit, the relationship between detectives David Stone and Frankie Oliver is stretched to breaking point when, without her knowledge, he embarks on an investigation into the tragic open-unsolved murder of her sister. The past and present collide with devastating consequences in this unputdownable thriller that will leave readers breathless.

Stranded on the outskirts of Ironopolis, nickname to a lost industrial Middlesbrough, the Burn Council Estate is about to be torn down to make way for regeneration. For the future... But these streets know many stories, some hide secrets... Jean holds the key to the disappearance of a famous artist... Jim's youth is shattered during the euphoric raves of '89... A brutal boyhood prank scars three generations of Frank's family... Corina's gambling addiction costs her far more than money....

Rabbit is fed up. Spring has come, but it's not as perfect as he thought it would be. Bear thinks that if they work hard, they can make it better. But Rabbit has a Plan. He sets off across the lake in search of a perfect world. Crossing the water together, Rabbit and Bear learn many things, and discover that their perfect world may be closer at hand than Rabbit had thought. A story of hope, friendship, and an entire island made of bird droppings.

Icebear has arrived in Rabbit and Bear's valley, and he wants to be king. He's big and scary, and the more kind and understanding the animals are, the meaner he becomes. Rabbit is confused: Bear has always been able to fix their problems in the past - but maybe this time he needs to ask for help from someone else. Does Wolf have the answer to the bad king's demands...or will Rabbit and the other animals find the solution within themselves?

This is a brilliantly funny story of a rabbit and a bear who discover that things are always better when they're shared with a friend. Bear wakes up early from hibernation. If she can't sleep, then at least she can make a snowman. Rabbit has never made a snowman, but he definitely wants to make one that's better than Bear's. But with an avalanche and a hungry wolf heading his way, Rabbit soon realises that it might be nice to have a friend on his side.

When librarian and budding Private Investigator Kitt Hartley visits her ex-assistant Grace Edwards in Durham, she soon learns of an unsolved murder. A year ago, Jodie Perkins, a Mechanics student, disappeared after her student-radio broadcast was cut short with a deafening scream. The police suspect Jodie was murdered although her body was never found. Keen to be on the front line of one of Kitt's investigations, Grace convinces Kit to use her recent private investigator training to solve the mystery.

After the death of her husband, Helen Dexter is contemplating her future as the now-sole proprietor of the Seaview Hotel. There's an offer from a hotel chain developer to consider, but also a booking from a group of 12 Elvis impersonators, a singing troupe called Twelvis. Tom loved Elvis, and for Helen, this is a sign that she should stay. But the series of mysterious events that follows suggests that the developer is not going to give up easily. Then, shortly after Twelvis arrive, one of the group disappears. His body is found floating in a lake, with his blue suede shoes missing.

Reclusive author Sarah is seeking refuge in the quiet village of Budbury, and the last thing she needs is a fake boyfriend. Except that’s exactly what she gets – and the fake boyfriend just happens to be gorgeous, rugged Aidan, complete with an easy charm and an old soul that makes him seem like he’s just stepped straight out of the pages of a novel. Using him to keep her nosy family at bay, he’s happy to do her a favour in return for help with his rather unusual dog-sitting predicament.