One of the best known and most controversial examples of twentieth century literature. Read here in its entirety by Jeremy Irons, who starred in the 1997 film adaptation directed by Adrian Lyne.
When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils... Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations? A big novel about a small town, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults. It is the work of a storyteller like no other.
'I watched my father run forward in his snowshoes the way one sometimes does in dreams, unable to make the legs move fast enough. I ran to the place where he knelt. I looked down into the sleeping bag. A tiny face gazed up at me, the eyes wide despite their many folds. The baby was wrapped in a bloody towel, and its lips were blue.
In this delightful second installment in Alexander McCall Smith';s bestselling detective series, the irrepressibly curious Isabel Dalhousie gets caught up in a highly unusual affair of the heart.When Isabel is asked to cover for vacationing Cat at her delicatessen, Isabel meets a man with a most interesting problem. He recently had a heart transplant and is suddenly haunted by memories of events that never happened to him.The situation piques her insatiable curiosity: Could the memories be connected with the donor';s demise? Naturally, Isabel';s friend Jamie thinks it is none of Isabel';s business. Meanwhile, Grace, Isabel';s housekeeper, has become infatuated with a man at her spiritualist meeting, and Cat brings home an Italian lothario. That makes for some particularly tricky problems-both practical and philosophical-for Isabel to unravel in this enormously engaging and highly unusual mystery.From the Trade Paperback edition.
The story of Shanti, who joined the army and lost his right arm at the battle of Monte Cassino, and Henny, who made a life for herself in Britain. After the war they married and lived in north London where Shanti became a much-loved dentist. Vikram Seth, their nephew, lived with them and came to know and love them deeply.
Florida is full of human predators, and they all give Dr Kay Scarpetta the opportunity and the means to do what she does best - persuading the dead to speak to her. And in Boston, Benton Wesley is working on a secret case involving convicted killers.
Alexander McCall Smith';s many fans will be pleased with this latest installment in the bestselling 44 Scotland Street series. Back are all our favorite denizens of a Georgian townhouse in Edinburgh. Bertie the immensely talented six year old is now enrolled in kindergarten, and much to his dismay, has been clad in pink overalls for his first day of class. Bruce has lost his job as a surveyor, and between admiring glances in the mirror, is contemplating becoming a wine merchant. Pat is embarking on a new life at Edinburgh University and perhaps on a new relationship, courtesy of Domenica, her witty and worldly-wise neighbor. McCall Smith has much in store for them as the brief spell of glorious summer sunshine gives way to fall a season cursed with more traditionally Scottish weather.Full of McCall Smith';s gentle humor and sympathy for his characters, Espresso Tales is also an affectionate portrait of a city and its people who, in the author';s own words, "make it one of the most vibrant and interesting places in the world."From the Trade Paperback edition.
An original collection of humorous fables features animals with unmistakably human failings, including a cynical cat struggling to sit through his prison-mandated AA meetings, and a pair of lovers separated by prejudiced family members.
Sarah Waters, the award-winning author of three novels set in Victorian London, returns with a stunning novel that marks a departure from the 19th century.
* The third in THE SUNDAY PHILOSOPHY CLUB series, starring amateur sleuth Isabel Dalhousie. * Read by Phyllis Logan, the audiobook voice of Isabel Dalhousie
