Peter Noble

Why is the Berlin Brandenburg Airport ten years behind schedule and nearly four billion euros over budget? And what possessed Kenya's government to spend a whopping $35 million on a chain link fence just six miles long? In this hilarious, fascinating and insightful expose, industry insider Peter Smith reveals the massive blunders and dodgy dealings taking place around the world as private companies and public sector bodies buy goods and services.

A recent report showed that over 90% of procurement projects fail. So, why are so many billions wasted on ineptitude, mismanagement and, in some cases, fraud? By turns an entertaining account of some of the worst procurement scams in history and also a resounding lesson in how not to operate, Bad Buying offers clear and practical advice on how to avoid embarrassing mistakes, minimise needless waste and make sound, strategic procurement decisions on your next initiative.

Sophie Duguet is losing her grip. Haunted by visions from her past, of her loving husband, who committed suicide after a car accident.One morning she wakes to find Leo, the child in her care, strangled in his bed by Sophie's own shoelaces. She can remember nothing of the night before. Could she really have killed him? She flees in panic, but this only cements her guilt in the eyes of the law. Not long afterwards it happens again - she wakes with blood on her hands, with no memory of the murder committed. Just what is it that comes over Sophie when she sleeps? And what else might she be capable of? Wanted by the police, and desperate to change her identity, Sophie decides to find a man to marry. To have and to hold. For better or for worse. Till death does them part . . .

A rich American art student is found dead at the bottom of a well in an ancient hilltop castle. The young woman, Claudia, had been working with an eminent French art historian at his art-filled chateau. As Claudia's White House connections get the FBI involved, Bruno traces the people and events that led to her fatal accident ? or was it murder? Bruno learns that Claudia had been trying to buy the chateau and art collection of her tutor, even while her research led her to suspect that some of his attributions may have been forged. The long arm of French history has reached out to find a new victim, but can Bruno identify the killer? Bruno, Book 12 of series.

1920. Scotland Yard detective Albert Lincoln is called away to a case in the North West of England. Before the War he led the investigation into the murder of little Jimmy Rudyard in the village of Mabley Ridge. Now a woman has been murdered there and another child is missing, the sole witness being a traumatised boy who lives in a cemetery lodge. Albert is determined that this time him he will find the truth - and the missing child... Book 2 of series.

A bumper collection of delightful stories featuring Bruno, chief of police and France's favourite cop, all set in the beautiful Dordogne valley and the ravishing Perigord region of the south west. Here is a landscape of meandering rivers with medieval castles overlooking their banks, of lush hillsides and spreading vineyards, of delicious local wines and world renowned cuisine.

With titles like 'The Chocolate War', 'The Birthday Lunch', 'Oystercatcher', 'A Market Tale' and 'Fifty Million Bubbles', you may be sure that champagne and gastronomy will feature as well as cosy crime in 'Dangerous Vacation'. Bruno strides through these tales, staying calm, settling local disputes and keeping safe his beloved town of St Denis.

A short story collection linked to the Dordogne Mystery series.

Commandant Camille Verhoeven will break all the rules to protect the woman he loves. Drawn into a labyrinthine web with answers ever out of reach, Camille must draw on all his talent to face an enemy who threatens everything he holds dear.

Operation Chastise, the destruction of the Möhne and Eder dams in Germany by the RAF’s 617 Squadron, was an epic that has passed into Britain’s legend. Max Hastings vividly describes the evolution of Wallis’ bomb, and of the squadron which broke the dams at the cost of devastating losses. But he also portrays in harrowing detail those swept away by the torrents, in one of the most extraordinary episodes in British history.

The event of the Périgord tourist season is the re-enactment of the liberation of the historic town of Sarlat from the English in 1370. But it all goes wrong when the man playing the part of the French general is almost killed in the heat of the action.

The immediate question for chief of police Bruno Courrèges is: was this an accident - or deliberate? The stakes rise when Bruno learns that the man, Kerquelin, was running Frenchelon, the secret French electronic intelligence base nearby, after being recruited from a brilliant Silicon Valley career.

As he investigates, Bruno discovers that Kerquelin's wound was faked, that he is alive and well and secretly negotiating a massive deal to build a semi-conductor industry in France. But then a whole new and dangerous player emerges, determined to nip the deal in the bud.

Book 16 in the Dordogne Mystery series.

Bruno, Chief of Police in the French town of St Denis, is already busy when the body of an undercover French Muslim cop is found, a man who called Bruno for help only hours before. Meanwhile, a Muslim youth named Sami turns up at an army base in Afghanistan hoping to get home to St Denis. Bruno must unravel these mysteries, and find a way to protect his town and its people.  Book 7 of series.

For 30 years, Bruno's boss, chief of detectives Jalipeau, known as J-J, has been obsessed with his first case. It was never solved and Bruno knows that this failure continues to haunt J-J. A young male body was found in the woods near St Denis and never identified. For all these years, J-J has kept the skull as a reminder. He calls him 'Oscar'.

Visiting the famous pre-history museum in nearby Les Eyzies, Bruno sees some amazingly life-like heads expertly reconstructed from ancient skulls. He suggests performing a similar reconstruction on Oscar as a first step towards at last identifying him. An expert is hired to start the reconstruction and the search for Oscar's killer begins again in earnest.

 Book 14 in the Dordogne Mystery series.

1787. Captain Edward Brazier is on a mission: recently paid off from his frigate and comfortably off with prize money, he is headed to Deal to propose marriage to the young and lovely widow Betsey Langridge. He must navigate the bustle of the town's narrow streets that are busy with legal, illicit and depraved business flowing from and around the ships at dock. But all does not go well; between Betsey's brother and guardian, Henry Tulkington, prohibiting the match and Brazier marked out for trouble by a local smuggling gang, his plans are in disarray. And when it slowly emerges that there may have been a decades-old injustice closer to home, Brazier is caught up in more than he'd bargained for.  Book 1 of series.

After four decades in politics, Jeremy Corbyn stands on the brink of power. Until his surprise election as leader of the Labour Party he had not been a major political player. Since then, Corbyn has survived coup attempts and accusations of incompetence. Here, Tom Bower reveals hidden truths about Corbyn's character and Britain's likely fate under the Marxist-Trotskyist society he champions.

In the the small town of St Denis, a female body has been found on a boat bearing the ghastly signs of a black magic ritual. Bruno, chief of police, must track down a murderer while quelling his town's superstitious fears. He and his colleagues are drawn ever closer to a climactic showdown in the Gouffre de Colombac - the place locals call the Devil's Cave...  Book 5 of series.

It’s Livia’s 40th birthday and she’s having the party of a lifetime. Everyone she loves will be there except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. Livia is secretly glad she won’t be at the party. She needs to tell Adam something about their daughter. Adam wants everything to be perfect for Livia so he’s secretly arranged for Marnie to come home and surprise her. Then he hears some terrible news. He needs to tell Livia, but she’s so excited – and the guests are about to arrive. The Dilemma – how far would you go to give someone you love a last few hours of happiness?

Twenty-four gripping tales told in bold, distinct voices from Brazil to Africa and from Nice to Hollywood. Funny, moving and sharply observed, these stories are confirmation of Boyd's status as one of English fiction's finest writers.

When Bruno is invited to the 90th birthday of a powerful local patriarch he encounters a family with more secrets than even he had imagined. When one of the other guests is found dead the next morning and the family try to cover it up, Bruno knows it's his duty to prevent the victim from becoming just another skeleton in their closet. Meanwhile, very modern battles are being fought in St Denis between hunters defending their traditions and environmentalists protecting local wildlife. Neither side, it seems, is above the use of violent tactics. At the centre of it all, Bruno must use all his cunning and character to protect his community's future from its present - and its past.  Book 8 of series.

In the early morning hours of 6 November 1943, SS Reichsfuhrer Heinrich Himmler receives the coded message he has been waiting for "The Eagle has landed." It was to become known as the most daring enemy mission of the entire war: Operation Eagle, Himmler's audacious plan to kidnap Winston Churchill on British soil. But, despite spectacular secrecy, there was to be no surrender without a fight... For in that remote corner of Norfolk, an elite unit is gathered together. Ready to do battle for a nation against the most ruthless task force ever assembled.

Ranulph Fiennes himself served in Britain's toughest formation, the SAS. Since his military days he has won acclaim as an extraordinary brave and resourceful Arctic adventurer. It is fitting that he now looks back across 5,000 years of military history to pinpoint and celebrate the best elite units that served and fought across the globe.

One autumn morning Bruno comes across an abandoned car parked near a local beauty spot. Inside is a dead woman, Monique, an apparent suicide resulting from depression. But there are circumstances surrounding the death that raise Bruno's suspicions, particularly when disputes arise surrounding her Will.

At the same time, Bruno makes the mistake of interfering in a local marital dispute. Deputy mayor Xavier has been playing away and finds himself evicted from the family home. Old controversies about deer culls take on new life and then a second campaign begins, stating that Bruno is less of a village copper and more of a secret policeman, whose main job is working for French intelligence.

Suddenly Bruno's shiny reputation is looking a little tarnished as he battles to save his name and answer the questions surrounding Monique's suicide.

Book 18 in the Dordogne Mystery series.

When a local researcher turns up dead on Bruno's patch, and French intelligence starts investigating the use of classic car sales to launder money for funding Islamic terrorism, Bruno finds himself once more caught up in a case that reaches far beyond his small town and its people. With the bucolic charm and gourmet cooking that are the hallmarks of this series, Bruno's latest adventure finds him falling in love again as he races to find the murderer and to track down the fate of the most beautiful car ever made. Book 9 of series.

The shy, young Duke of Sale has never known his parents, Instead, his Grace Adolphus Gillespie Vernon Ware (Gilly for short) has endured twenty-four years of rigorous mollycoddling form his uncle and valet. But his natural diffidence conceals a rebellious spirit. So when Gilly hears of Belinda, the beautiful foundling who appears to be blackmailing his cousin, he absconds with glee. No sooner has he entered this new and dangerous world than he is plunged into a frenzy of intrigue, kidnap and adventure ...

For over fifty years, Georgette Heyer was the undisputed queen of historical, romantic fiction. The Foundling shows all of her wonderful talents at their best, and how she won a huge audience that continues to this day.

When a body is unearthed in a mini-market car park Jan Fabel, Chief of the Hamburg murder squad, suspects it is a young woman, Monika Krone, who disappeared 15-years earlier. Some days later a prominent artist is murdered in bizarre circumstances. A further three bizarre murders follow and Fabel starts to suspect that they may be linked in some way to the discovery of Monika's body.

Half a million people lived in the Warsaw ghetto, less than one percent survived. Based on the true account of one of Poland's greatest men, Dr Janusz Korczak, this story tells of his struggle to uphold the rights of even the smallest child in the face of unimaginable conditions, and how he becomes a beacon of hope for the thousands who live behind the walls.

The long arm of history reaches into the present in Bruno's latest case when three sets of bones are discovered, buried deep in the woods outside the Dordogne town of St Denis. It appears that the remains have lain there since World War 2. Bruno must investigate who the bones belong to and whether their burial amounts to a war crime.

Bruno has other concerns too. After weeks of heavy autumn rain, the normally tranquil Dordogne river has risen to record levels, compromising the upriver dams that control the Vezere that flows through St Denis, bringing the threat of a devastating flood.

As ever, Bruno must rely on his wits, tenacity and people skills to ensure that past wrongs don't result in present violence, and to keep his little town and its inhabitants safe from harm.  Book 17 of series.

The idea that people are basically driven by individualism and economic incentives, and that prosperity and good societies come from top-down leadership, has dominated politics for the last thirty years (from some perspectives, much longer). This book shows that the age of homo economicus and centralisation is coming to an end. Instead, Collier and Kay argue that community and mutuality will be the drivers of successful societies in the future - as they are already in some parts of the world. They show how politics can reverse the move to extremes of right and left in recent years, that the centre can hold, and that if we think differently we can find common ground to the benefit of all.

1919. In the tranqil Derbyshire village of Wenfield, a young girl is found stabbed and left in woodland, her mouth slit to accommodate a dead dove - a bird of peace. Inspector Albert Lincoln is sent up from London to crack the terrible case - but with the killer still on the loose, who will be the next to die at the hands of this vicious angel of death? Book 1 of series.

Derbyshire, 1921. When an MP goes missing in a Derbyshire village, Scotland Yard detective Albert Lincoln is sent to investigate. A grim discovery has been made in a cave next to an ancient stone circle: the naked body of a middle-aged man mutilated beyond recognition. The local police assume it is the missing politician but when Albert arrives in Wenfield he begins to have doubts. Two years earlier he conducted another traumatic murder investigation in the same village and he finds reminders of a particularly personal tragedy as he tries to help a vicar's widow who claims her husband was murdered. Then there is another murder in Wenfield. Could there be a link between all of Albert's cases? Book 3 of series.

Commandant Verhoeven is happily married and expecting his first child with the lovely Irène. But his blissful existence is punctured by a murder of unprecedented savagery. When he discovers that the killer has killed before – and that each murder is a homage to a classic crime novel - the newspapers are quick to coin a nickname - The Novelist.

In February 1944, the French Resistance had been decimated by German aggression. Hundreds of its members languished in the Amiens jail, awaiting an almost certain death. What followed was a precision air attack on the prison. The bravery and skill of the pilots created a breach in the prison's walls that allowed the Nazi's captives to break free.

Arif Naqvi was charismatic, inspiring and self-made. The founder of the Dubai-based private-equity firm Abraaj, he was the Key Man to the global elite searching for impact investments to make money and do good. He persuaded politicians he could help stabilize the Middle East after 9/11 by providing jobs and guided executives to opportunities in cities they struggled to find on the map. Bill Gates helped him start a billion-dollar fund to improve health care in poor countries, and the UN and Interpol appointed him to boards. Naqvi also won the support of President Obama's administration and the chief of a British government fund compared him to Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible.

The only problem? In 2019 Arif Naqvi was arrested on charges of fraud and racketeering at Heathrow airport. A British judge has approved his extradition to the US and he faces up to 291 years in jail if found guilty.With a cast featuring famous billionaires and statesmen moving across Asia, Africa, Europe and America, The Key Man is the story of how the global elite was duped by a capitalist fairy tale. Clark and Louch's thrilling investigation exposes one of the world's most audacious scams and shines a light on the hypocrisy, corruption and greed at the heart of the global financial system.

Upending centuries of scholarship (including, most recently, Chomsky and Pinker) The Language Game shows how people learn to talk not by acquiring fixed meanings and rules, but by picking up, reusing, and recombining countless linguistic fragments in novel ways.

Drawing on entertaining and persuasive examples from across the world the book explains:
* How our short-lived memory copes with the on-rushing deluge of sound that is everyday speech.
* Why it is that language is such a challenge for language scientists but learnt effortlessly by toddlers.
* Why the languages of the world are so spectacularly varied---and why no two people speak quite the same language.
* Why humans have language, but chimps don't.
* How language gave us a big brain and changed the course of evolution
* How language doesn't limit, but does shape, how we think.
*And ultimately, why what we have come to understand about how language works, gives us greater hope for our future.

When war came to Alaa Aljaleel's hometown, he made a remarkable decision to stay behind, caring for the people and animals caught in the crossfire. While thousands were forced to flee, Alaa spent his days carrying out perilous rescue missions in his makeshift ambulance and building a sanctuary for the city's abandoned cats.

As word of Alaa's courage and dedication spread, the kindness of strangers enabled him to feed thousands of local families and save hundreds of animals. But with the city under siege, time was running out for the last sanctuary in Aleppo...

This is the first memoir about the war in Syria from a civilian who remains there to this day, providing both a shocking insider account as well as an inspiring tale about how one person's actions can make a difference against all odds.

Berlin, 1938: Newly-appointed military attaché Noel Macrae arrives at the British Embassy. Prime Minister Chamberlain is intent on placating Nazi Germany, but Macrae is less so. Gathering vital intelligence, Macrae is drawn to a Nazi bordello and its enigmatic Jewish hostess Sara Sternschein, who is a treasure-trove of knowledge about the Nazi hierarchy. Does she hold the key to thwarting Hitler?

Father and son, Landyn and Vale Midwinter, are Suffolk farmers. Times are hard as they struggle in the face of competition from big business. But an even bigger, more brutal fight is brewing: a fight between each other, about a past event they have both refused to confront, until now..

A gripping tale of heroic failure during the Dieppe raid of 1942. On the moonless night of 18 August 1942 a flotilla pushes out into the flat water of the Channel. They are to seize the German-held port of Dieppe and hold it for at least twenty-four hours, showing the Soviets the Allies were serious about a second front and to get experience ahead of a full-scale invasion. Operation Jubilee - the Royal Air Force's biggest battle since 1940 was both a disaster and a milestone in the narrative of the war - it had powerful lessons and far-reaching consequences that paved the way to D-Day. Using first-hand testimony and recently declassified source material from archives across several countries, bestselling author Patrick Bishop's account of this gallant endeavour reveals the big picture and unearths telling details, establishing definitively Operation Jubilee's place in history.

The many voices of The Promise tell a story in four snapshots, each one centered on a family funeral, each one happening in a different decade. In the background, a different president is in power, and a different spirit hangs over the country, while in the foreground the family fights over what they call their farm, on a worthless piece of land outside Pretoria. Over large jumps in time, people get older, faces and laws and lives all change, while a brother and sister circle around a promise made long ago and never kept....