Richard Ratcliffe

Adrian Mole is a worrier. He is dogged by spots, cracks in his parents' marriage and misfortunes familiar to anyone over the age of 13. A 14 year old feminist, an 89 year old chain smoker and his spoilt best friend all help to lift Mole's moods. First book in the series.

Adrian is now 23½. We follow the misunderstood genius of Middle England on a further stretch of his weary travels through the Valley of Rejection and Humiliation, in search of the sunny uplands of requited love and the publication of his novel. Book 4 of the series.

Sequel to: 'Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years' (3958). Now a celebrity chef and single parent, Mole returns to Leicester to vote for Dr Pandora Braithwaite, Labour Party candidate and love of his young life. Book 5 of the series.

Jake and his friends have the power to morph into any animal they choose. Now they must use that power to outsmart evil.

Artemis requires the help of the fairy folk once more as he is tricked into handing over the C Cube super computer he has constructed from stolen fairy technology, to Chicago businessman, Jon Spiro. This time Butler's life is at stake so Artemis, Butler's sister Juliet and Holly Short travel to Chicago to steal back the Cube and ensure that Spiro is put out of business - permanently!

During a four-day golf tournament to mark the opening of a new country club, Witches' Hill, a businessman is murdered. Then a copy of an ancient curse is sent to the local paper, but ACC Robert Skinner is convinced that the key to the murder is in the present, not in ancient witchcraft.  Book 4 of series.

Charles Paris lands himself a part in Twelfth Night, but is soon suspicious that someone is trying to kill him.

Detective Harry Bosch investigates the killing of an abused twelve-year-old boy whose bones have remained undiscovered in the Hollywood Hills for many years. X rated, contains graphic violence.  Book 8 of series.

Jonathan is about to discover his family’s darkest secret... his Grandad.

What will happen when Jonathan’s teacher turns up without a head? Can the Fang Gang help him find it or will he have lost his head forever?

When Emma Maloney reports her father's disappearance to the Portsmouth police, D I Joe Faraday suspects murder but his hunch is not enough to ask his already overworked squad to investigate.

The visit to Grandma Dowdel and her sleepy town doesn't look very exciting, but Joey and Mary Alice soon realise they are wrong. Grandma is a formidable old lady who teaches them all about having fun!

In these fictionalised memoirs, the author describes his early years in the slums of Salford. Born in 1928 to a large Catholic family, he recalls his youth with humour and warmth.  Book 3 of series.

1945 and Billy Hopkins leaves home for teacher training college in London. After qualifying he returns to Manchester for his first teaching post where he meets the beautiful Laura!  Book 4 of series.

When two men are brutally murdered in Kaalbringen, Chief Inspector Van Veeteren, holidaying nearby, is summoned to assist the local police. They can find no link between the victims, but when a brilliant young detective goes missing, Van Veeteren thinks she may have discovered the link!

A sweltering summer is bad news for a Private Investigator as the villains take a break, so when Joe Sixsmith is asked to look into allegations against Chris Porphyry, leading light of the Royal Hoo Golf Course, he is more than willing to help. He is soon on the trail of a conspiracy that starts with missing balls and ends with murder…

Holden Caulfield, a 16-year old American, is the original 'cynical adolescent'. With unusual candour he relates the story of a few days of his life just after he has been expelled from his prep school. First published in 1951, this book is just as edgy today.

A student, the daughter of an influential banker, is missing. Two leads emerge for Inspector Rebus and his team, an old carved doll in a six inch coffin, and an Internet game run by a cyber guru. Whilst Rebus works on the historical material he leaves DC Clarke to take her chances with the virtual Quizmaster.  Book 12 of series.

An ex-Army loner kills two teenagers at a private school and then shoots himself. DI Rebus needs to find out why. At the same time a petty criminal who has been stalking DS Clarke is found burnt to death, and Rebus is just out of hospital, with his hands heavily bandaged! X rated, contains offensive language.  Book 14 of series.

Are you made fainthearted by death? Does fire unnerve you? Is a villain something that might crop up in future nightmares of yours? Are you thrilled by nefarious plots? Is cold porridge upsetting to you? Vicious threats? Hooks? Uncomfortable clothing?

It is likely that your answers will reveal A Series of Unfortunate Events to be ill-suited for your personal use. A librarian, bookseller, or acquaintance should be able to suggest books more appropriate for your fragile temperament. But to the rarest of readers we say, "Proceed, but cautiously."

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky.

In the first two books alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, a lumpy bed, a deadly serpent, a large brass reading lamp, a long knife, and a terrible odour.

When a senior British officer is captured by the forces of the Tippoo of Mysore during the siege of Seringapatam in 1799, Sharpe is offered a chance to attempt a rescue.  Book 1 of series.

Uncle Bart reckons humans don't hate cane toads but Lumpy knows they do. He embarks on a dangerous but funny quest to show humans how nice cane toads are.

In the hysterically funny sequel to Toad Rage, Limpy is on a quest to find toad heaven. A place where cane toads won't be blown up with bike pumps or bashed over the head with folding chairs. Limpy's determined to find this place if it takes him the rest of his life, but his plans are waylaid when he's kidnapped by some sinister-looking humans and tossed into a bucket. Will Limpy be able to save cane toads? Will he be able to find toad heaven? First he has to get out of the bucket...

The downtrodden McNally children are staying at the Dell hotel for the final of the Tap'nType competition. When young Fergal McNally falls to his death at the beginning of the story, the family's fortunes can only go one way… up!

Jordan Blake and his sister, Nicole, are sick of the hot weather in Pasadena, California. Just once they'd like to have a real winter. A real winter with real snow. But now, they're being chased by a monstrous creature... known as the Abominable Snowman!

Biggles and the team are stuck in the Sahara trying to track down Alex Mander, the missing son of a friend of Raymond.

A thrilling Christmas ghost story set in Tyneside in 1930.

As the new World Warriors get used to their super hero powers, they have to deal with an emergency in the shape of Ma Vile!

The Magnificent Misfits are six unsuspecting children who are mistakenly transformed into superheroes. Armed with spacehoppers and not a lot else, their mission is to guard a jar of pickled onions from the Vile family who are planning to take over the world!

Shortly after the beginning of the Gulf War, Figgis (Andy) starts talking in his sleep in a strange language that his brother Tom doesn't understand, and calling himself "Latif". "Latif" gradually starts to take Figgis over - and Tom realises that Figgis has somehow become a boy in the Gulf.

Great Aunt Emma is no ordinary lady. But why is she so strange? Why have Mum and Dad never mentioned her before - after all, she is supposed to be Granny's sister, isn't she? Soon Tim and Beth start noticing more and more odd things.

The retellings of three Greek legeneds. Follow along as Perseus, with his winged sandals, travels the world to defeat the Gorgon Medusa... Join the Argonauts who face many trials as they travel with Jason to find the Golden Fleece... Accompany Theseus as he enters the labyrinth to meet the terrible Minotaur…

It was 7 minutes after midnight. The dog was lying on the grass in the middle of the lawn in front of Mrs Shears' house. Its eyes were closed. It looked as if it was running on its side, the way dogs run when they think they are chasing a cat in a dream. But the dog was not running or asleep. The dog was dead.

This is Christopher's murder mystery story. There are also no lies in this story because Christopher can't tell lies. Christopher does not like strangers or the colours yellow or brown or being touched. On the other hand, he knows all the countries in the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7507. When Christopher decides to find out who killed the neighbour's dog, his mystery story becomes more complicated than he could have ever predicted.

Robert is the boy who is never picked for the team - the class victim. Suprisingly an old lady sends him on a quest to solve the mystery of Chance House. To get to the truth, Robert must learn what it really means to fly.

Robbie, growing up in England during World War 2, is a hugely fat boy and the butt of taunts and jokes. Later the fat turns to muscle and he becomes the star of the school rugby team. Emma Harris, one of the teachers, begins to notice him and she and Robbie begin a flirtation that turns into a passionate affair.