Ann Stutz

Middle-aged Josh and Maisie Evans lead a seemingly unremarkable life. When their elderly lodger Flo dies and leaves them her Estate, they head to Italy on holiday, to take in the sea air and let the sun soak into their bones. There they meet Mrs Fingal, a wealthy widow who lives unhappily with her grown-up niece. When Josh and Maisie bond with her over ice-cream and daily ambles, it's only natural that they arrange for her to move in with them once home. It suits everyone.

For fans of Shirley Jackson, Roald Dahl and Muriel Spark, A Helping Hand is a sharp and nasty slice of darkness, and a reminder that beneath the suburban respectability of cups of tea and genteel chitchat another world lurks, and that the real horrors of this world can all too often be found behind discreet net curtains.

Drawing on the author's first-hand experiences with families, this book provides crucial, accessible information and answers the difficult questions that often arise when a family member with an intellectual disability is diagnosed with dementia.

Linking directly to policy and practice in both dementia and intellectual disability care, this book takes an outcome-focussed approach to support short, medium and long-term planning. With a particular emphasis on communication, the author seeks to ensure that families and organisations are able to converse effectively about a relative's health and care. The book looks at how to recognise when changes in the health of a relative with an intellectual disability could indicate the onset of dementia, as well as addressing common concerns surrounding living situations, medication and care plans. Each chapter is structured to identify strategies for support whilst working towards outcomes identified by families as dementia progresses.

Flavia was born with a birthmark marring her face in the shape of a bird in flight. A dyer’s daughter, she grows up in a secluded little house in the woods, away from prying eyes.

Ashamed of the mark, her mother forces Flavia to conceal her face behind a veil. But on the night before her younger sister’s wedding, Flavia does something drastic, something that will draw her into a much wider and stranger world than she could have imagined: the convent of Santa Giuliana, just outside the city walls.

There she meets Ghostanza, a courtesan turned widow, whose white-lead painted face entrances Flavia, and whose beauty and cruelty are unmatched. Flavia becomes her ornatrix: her hairdresser and personal maid, drawing her into a world of desire and jealousy that has devastating consequences.

CONTENT WARNING: contains scenes of a sexual nature and scenes of rape

Mrs Lippincote's house, with its mahogany furniture and yellowing photographs, stands as a reminder of all the certainties that have vanished with the advent of war. Temporarily, this is home for Julia, who has joined her husband Roddy at the behest of the RAF. Although she can accept the pomposities of service life, Julia's honesty and sense of humour prevent her from taking her role as seriously as her husband, that leader of men, might wish; for Roddy, merely love cannot suffice - he needs homage as well as admiration. And Julia, while she may be a most unsatisfactory officer's wife, is certainly no hypocrite.

London, 1956. A young woman has been found dead in a hotel in King's Cross. It looks like an accident, and Scotland Yard isn't interested in accidents. But Fleet Street journalist Gerry Blackstone reckons there's more to it than meets the eye.

Meanwhile, Oxford is filling with Hungarian émigrés fleeing the failed revolution. Special Branch, concerned there could be Soviet spies among the genuine refugees, send in DCI Jack McGovern to keep an eye on proceedings.

As McGovern plays spycatcher in Oxford and Blackstone hunts for clues in the seedy corners of London, a complex web of rogues, schemers and potential suspects starts to emerge: the well-to-do madam, the Classics professor, the East London crime boss, the government minister... does it all lead back to the dead girl in King's Cross? Or is there something even more sinister going on?

1990s England. Ali and Caroline are neighbours but not friends in leafy Upley Rising. Ali battles with money troubles and multiple children while Caroline has rock star connections and always gets what she wants. Then there’s respectable Robert, the third neighbour, whose life takes an unexpected turn.

Every December Ali, Caroline and Robert write up their year’s news into cheery round robin newsletters for everyone they know. What a wonderful year it’s been: Charles has been promoted twice, Max is the school orchestra’s top tuba player and Clementine’s child modelling career progression is meteoric. But what about the longstanding local murder mystery? Or the strange goings on at Upley Rising’s 300 year-old summer festival?

Whose letters can you really believe?

When Jane – smart, funny, fortyish – says she's a school counsellor, people assume it's all about exam stress. If only.

Her teenage clients include Vaishali, who hates the perfect curves that draw the attention of adult men; Fraser, who cares devotedly for his mother but hurts his girlfriend by confusing real life with porn; and George, a trans boy who suffers from acute anxiety.

Harbouring terrible secrets from her own youth, Jane struggles to contain the anger these stories arouse in her. It's only when she starts counselling her colleague Kass, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse whose trauma is resurfacing, that her thoughts turn to revenge…

York Notes for GCSE offer an exciting approach to English Literature and will help you to achieve a better grade. This market-leading series has been completely updated to reflect the needs of today's students. The new editions are packed with detailed summaries, commentaries on key themes, characters, language and style, illustrations, exam advice and much more. Written by GCSE examiners and teachers, York Notes are the authoritative guides to exam success.

Best friends Mackie and Sharon feel trapped working at a scrapyard in Swansea. Sharon, a charismatic club singer, dreams of a glamorous future on a cruise ship, while Mackie struggles as a weary foster parent to his wayward daughter's twins.

But their lives take an unexpected turn when they discover a mysterious kid trapped in a scrap car. The kid has an extraordinary gift — he can draw the future. As Mackie agrees to protect him, they are thrust into a world of uncertainty. Who is the kid hiding from? Who is hunting him?

In his quest to safeguard the kid, Mackie must confront his deepest fears…

York Notes Advanced offer a fresh and accessible approach to English Literature. This market-leading series has been completely updated to meet the needs of today's A-level and undergraduate students. Written by established literature experts, York Notes Advanced introduce students to more sophisticated analysis, a range of critical perspectives and wider contexts.

When Lady Alkmene reads in the newspaper about a mysterious death, she is convinced it is connected with the glamourous Broadway star, Evelyn Steinbeck, who recently came to town and is suddenly heiress to a large fortune.

Alkmene is determined to dig into Ms. Steinbeck's past, but her investigations are hampered by an infuriatingly opinionated reporter. Raised with a grudge against anybody with privilege, Jake Dubois is determined to prove the 'debutante detective' is out of her depth.

Working as much against as with each other in their pursuit of the killer, Alkmene and her new-found 'ally' uncover an explosive mixture of passion, greed and revenge that pushes their resolve and survival skills to the limits.

Can they rely on each other, despite their differences, to catch a clever killer before he catches them?

In this body swap comedy from the 1930s, the minds of two strangers, aristocrat Lady Elizabeth and middle-class Polly Wilkinson, switch places with baffling and hilarious results. With wry observations on class, behavior and relationships, as both attempt to navigate the different social settings and awkward situations they suddenly find themselves thrust into - the switches taking place randomly with very little warning - the two women are eventually able to contrive a meeting and learn to control their 'gift' and effect positive changes in each others' lives.
 

Curl up with Stories for Winter, a collection of seasonal tales to sustain you through the long, dark evenings. Originally written and first published in the twentieth century, the fourteen stories in this new anthology bring together the creative minds of Angela Carter, Edith Wharton, Katherine Mansfield, Elizabeth Berridge, Shirley Jackson, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Elizabeth Taylor, Mary Angela Dickens, Elizabeth Bowen and Kate Roberts. 

A woman waits for her lover across a flooded landscape; another braves a snowstorm for a stranger; while a young girl's unseasonal visit to the seaside ends in a shattering revelation. Exploring themes of loss and loneliness, resilience and renewal, this collection brings together many renowned female writers of the short-story form. In the spirit of the Women Writers series, these stories first appeared in books and periodicals in the twentieth century.

Gary Goodhew is just setting out on his career as a detective at Cambridge’s Parkside Station. When he discovers the body of a young woman on a nearby common he is given his first opportunity to work on a murder investigation.

Kaye Whiting went to buy a birthday present and didn't come back. DC Gary Goodhew is one of the detectives assigned to find Kaye and when her body is discovered the only clue to the potential murderer is a woman's voice on his answerphone saying, 'Kaye isn't the first and won't be the last...' X rated, contains graphic violence and explicit sex.

Eleven months after discovering a brutal double murder in a small Northumbrian town, Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels is still tormented by her failure to solve the case. The killing of a man on Newcastle’s Quayside gives her another chance but she fails to disclose the fact that she has recognised the corpse.

IT'S THE 4TH OF DECEMBER 1591.

On this, the last night of her life, in a prison cell several floors below Edinburgh's High Street, convicted witch Geillis Duncan receives a mysterious visitor - Iris, who says she comes from a future where women are still persecuted for who they are and what they believe.

As the hours pass and dawn approaches, Geillis recounts the circumstances of her arrest, brutal torture, confession and trial, while Iris offers support, solace - and the tantalising prospect of escape.

Hex is a visceral depiction of what happens when a society is consumed by fear and superstition, exploring how the terrible force of a king's violent crusade against ordinary women can still be felt, right up to the present day.

1942. The community of Pontypridd suffers a GI invasion. The South Carolina Regiment billeted in the town cuts a swathe through its women, living up to the GI's reputation as "over-paid, over-sexed and over here". For Bethan, whose husband is a POW in Germany, and Alma, whose husband is missing, the Americans bring new and dangerous friendships. For Jenny, a bitter young war widow, the chance to bury grief in a series of one-night stands. The women are caught between loyalty to their men and the attraction of the GIs, and when tragedy strikes the pits, the tension reaches breaking point.

In Pontypridd in 1938, tongues are quick to wag when Bethan John comes back to her mining family's house with her new baby - but without her husband, or any word of explanation. Ostracised by most - even her own mother - Bethan faces a lonely struggle to survive. Then taciturn Russian Charlie, an outsider haunted by his own past, reaches out the hand of friendship, and in so doing begins to thaw his own heart...  Book 3 of series.

Charmain Baker is in over her head. Looking after Great Uncle William's tiny cottage while he's ill should have been easy, but Great Uncle William is better known as the Royal Wizard Norland an his house bends space and time. Caught up in an intense royal search, she encounters an intimidating sorceress named Sophie. And where Sophie is, can the Wizard Howl and fire demon Calcifer be far behind?

When Roberta Teys is found beside her father's headless corpse, wearing her best dress and with an axe in her lap, Inspector Lynley and DS Barbara Havers are sent to solve this particularly gruesome murder. And soon they uncover a series of shocking revelations that shatter the façade of the peaceful Yorkshire village.  Book 1 of series.

When Laurence Fife was murdered, the police thought his wife Nikkie, with motive and opportunity, was the prime suspect. The jury thought so too. Eight years later and out on parole, Nikki hires P.I. Kinsey Millhone to find the real killer. The trail is cold, but Kinsey finds a lead that brings her face-to-face with the murderer...

Twelve cases of murder, and each a mystery for Lord Peter. As he gathers his clues, he reveals a gruesome but absolutely bewitching side rarely shown to readers in his full-length adventures.

Lord Peter Wimsey arranged a quiet country honeymoon with Harriet Vane, but what should have been an idyllic holiday in an ancient farmhouse takes on a new and unwelcome aspect with the discovery of the previous owner's body in the cellar.

Isla and Drew Allaway appear to have the perfect life – a strong marriage, two beautiful children and their picture-perfect home, Foxglove Farm. But, new mum Isla is struggling. She loves her little family but with Drew working all hours on the farm, Isla’s lonely. When she discovers that Drew has been keeping secrets from her, Isla has to face losing the home they all love. Can the Love Heart Lane community pull together once more to help save Foxglove Farm? And can Isla save her home…and her marriage?

Joelle D'Angelo's best friend, Mara, is left with brain damage after she suffers an aneurysm giving birth to her son. Alone and grieving, Joelle turns to the only other person who understands her pain: her colleague - and Mara's husband - Liam. What starts out as comfort between friends gradually becomes something more.

In a time of political turmoil, allegiance to family is everything. A Plantagenet princess should never defy her father’s wishes. Yet headstrong Elizabeth, rejecting her duty, weds the charming and ruthlessly ambitious Sir John Holland: Duke of Exeter, half-brother to King Richard II and the one man she has always wanted.

The Dangerous Lord Darrington may be an earl, but even in the wilds of Yorkshire Beth Forrester has heard tales of the incorrigible rake. Unexpectedly hosting such a scandalous celebrity is only the first of Beth's problems. Now the wicked Lord Darrington has found out about the dark secret she will do anything to protect.

When the body of a young girl is found hanging from a tree, the only clue is an airline tag around her neck. It reads ‘I’m travelling alone’. Police investigator Holger Munch is charged with assembling a special homicide unit. But to complete the team, he must track down his former partner, Mia Krüger – a brilliant but troubled detective – who has retreated to a solitary island with plans to kill herself. Richard & Judy Bookclub

First published in 1948, this is the story of two families during the inter-war years. We are shown the matriarchs around whom their families spin; but whether they direct their children gently or forcefully, in the end they have to accept them as they are. We see that families can both entrap and sustain; that parents and children must respect each other; and that happiness necessitates jumping or being pushed off the family roundabout.

This is the story of a Northern middle-class family in the years before and after the First World War. Louisa Ashton is the matriarch of the family, with daughters Letty and Laura, sons Jim and Charles. Her children are now grown up and beginning to make their way in the world. War intervenes, and everything changes. We will follow the Ashton family closely with all its ups and downs as the pressures mount, and with them will come moments of sublime happiness, but also pain and tragedy, and many hard decisions to be made.

Book 4 of the 'Raj Quartet' sequel to 'The Towers of Silence' (10485). The British Raj in India is in its final days. But the fall of the Empire is both the end of one era and the beginning of another. For Guy Perron, these last days are a time to reflect on the legacy the British Raj has left behind in India. And for the British families still residing in India, decisions about their future must be made and final goodbyes must be said.

She's a single parent. A private eye. And liking it. Until, that is, Mrs Hobbs turns up asking Sal Kilkenny to find her missing son. Sal's search takes her through the Manchester underworld, a wasteland of deprivation and petty theft, of well-heeled organised crime and, ultimately, murder. Would she have taken the job on if she had known what she was getting herself into? The first Sal Kilkenny mystery.

DC Rachel Bailey’s boss thinks her new recruit has bags of raw talent but straight-laced DC Janet Scott, her reluctant partner in Manchester's Murder Squad, has her doubts. Together Scott and Bailey must hunt a killer, but a life fighting crime can be no life at all...

In 1973 Jane Tennison, aged 22, leaves the Metropolitan Police Training Academy to be placed on probationary exercise in Hackney. In a male-dominated, chauvinistic environment, she has to learn fast to deal with shocking situations, with no help or sympathy from her superiors. Then comes her involvement in her first murder case...

Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she's posted to an alternative London. Their mission - to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it's already been stolen. London's underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book.