Anne Marlow

Agatha is helping out at the church fete, but there's more going on than innocent village fun. Several of the offerings in the jam-tasting booth turn out to be poisoned and the festive entertainment becomes the scene of two murders. Book 19 of series.

In her old house by the fjord, Signe lies on a bench and sees a vision of herself as she was more than twenty years earlier: standing by the window waiting for her husband Asle, on that terrible late November day when he took his rowboat out onto the water and never returned. Her memories widen out to include their whole life together, and beyond: the bonds of family and the battles with implacable nature stretching back over five generations, to Asle's great-great-grandmother Aliss. In Jon Fosse's vivid, hallucinatory prose, all these moments in time inhabit the same space, and the ghosts of the past collide with those who still live on.

As Professor of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology, Sue Black confronts death every day. She focuses on mortal remains in her lab, at burial sites, at scenes of violence, murder and criminal dismemberment. Here she reveals the many faces of death she has come to know, using key cases to explore how forensic science has developed, and what her work has taught her.

Anne of Cleves was Henry VIII's least favourite wife - but the one who outlived them all. 'I like her not!' was the verdict of Henry VIII on meeting his fourth wife for the first time. But Anne was both intelligent and practical, ensuring that, whilst she was queen for the shortest period, she was the last of all Henry VIII's wives to survive.

1911: Inside an asylum at the edge of the Yorkshire moors, where men and women are kept apart, there is a ballroom vast and beautiful. For one bright evening every week they come together and dance. When John and Ella meet, it is a dance that will change two lives forever.

Barbara Hepworth is one of the most important artists of the 20th century, yet she has been the subject of relatively few monographs in comparison to her male counterparts. This biography moves beyond the traditional narratives of modernism, truth to materials, and the landscape to provide a penetrating insight into Hepworth’s remarkable life, work and legacy.

One day, a young bear stumbles upon something he has never seen before in the forest. As time passes, he teaches himself how to play the strange instrument, and eventually the beautiful sounds are heard by a father and son who are picnicking in the woods.

The bear goes with them on an incredible journey to New York, where his piano playing makes him a huge star. He has fame, fortune and all the music in the world, but he misses the friends and family he has left behind.

The first book in the trilogy.

You probably remember the story of the bear who found the piano in the woods and grew up to become a huge star. He played his music in front of millions of adoring fans and all of his wildest dreams came true. But now, the audiences are smaller, the pianos less grand, and the applause is dying away. So Bear decides to retire.

Back in the woods, he is sad that his dream is over but he soon has something to distract him: Little Bear! The final book in the trilogy shows that while fame and fortune might be temporary, the best songs stay in your heart forever.

Hector and his dog Hugo have made music together through good times, bad times and even some crazy times. But when Hugo learns to play the fiddle and gets the chance to play with Bear’s Big Band, Hector’s jealousy gets the better of him. Can Hector swallow his pride and learn to be happy for his friend?

Set in New Orleans with a new cast of animal musicians, the second book in the trilogy teaches that friendship, like good music, lasts forever.

We need bees. These tiny, hardworking insects have transformed our lives with their quiet diligence; fertilizing the wild plants we rely on, and giving us thousands of years of sugary pleasure. But bees are in danger; across the planet, their numbers are plummeting

Sally Coulthard is here to share fifty ways we can all save bees. Whether you garden for bees, campaign for bees, or just learn a bit of bee-whispering, little things can make a big difference. Just ask a bee.

The enormous respect and affection of the British public for Betty Boothroyd has its roots in a strong belief in what she stands for: fair play, an unshakeable sense of honour and a passionate belief in the sovereignty of Parliament. Her convictions, she has said, are set in 'Yorkshire granite'. Born into a working class family in Dewsbury in 1929, there was little money, but Betty grew up in a home that radiated love and warmth. Betty popular and a talented dancer who went on, eventually, to become one of the celebrated Tiller Girls - the full story of which she tells here for the first time. But by the age of 25 Betty's dreams of taking the West End by storm had crashed - and her father's ambition of seeing her settled with a nice safe job had been abandoned. Undaunted, she won a national speaking award, stood for election to the local council and became a full-time worker for the Labour Party. Nothing would ever part Betty Boothroyd from politics again. 

In the summer of 1940, as the darkest days of the Second World War approach, a chance encounter on a train leads Miss Brown to become housekeeper at the Castle. Hidden in a quiet, rural corner of England, the crumbling castle is home to lonely historian Mr Birley and his nephews, fighter pilot Richard and fair, peace-loving Stephen. With young evacuees Moppet and Poppet, and mysterious violinist Jo Isaacson, this unexpected family of strangers come to rely on each other as the devastations of war rage on.

It is 1955 and a 15-year-old girl, seeking adventure, escapes the greyness of post-war London for the cobbles, sunshine and romance of an ancient Catalan city.

As the years pass and the girl becomes a woman, she returns again and again to Girona and to her lover, the enigmatic José Tarres. She meets captivating characters and hears about visions, a strangely wealthy priest, a fabulous garden owned by a Frenchwoman...

The rich priest was none other than the Abbé Saunière of Rennes-le-Château, and the mysteries surrounding him are at the very heart of the modern Grail legend. The people she has known for so many years, including José, belong to a secret society that guards Saunière's legacy. Now they ask her to be their messenger. It is time, they say, to present some of their closely guarded secrets to the world.

This delightful anthology is a timeless collection of poems chosen by Classic FM listeners. Whether you're reading them for the first time or revisiting a classic, this is a selection to enchant, move and delight.

With her husband in a coma and her daughter becoming increasingly distant, Helen seeks out companionship from her other relatives—the ones who are dead and gone. Helen begins to unearth buried family secrets, including the tragic story of her mysterious grandmother.

Kate Fordham fled to Spain to start a new life. But fate is about to bring her face-to-face with her greatest fear. Five centuries ago, a message was hidden in the Alhambra's walls. There it has lain, undisturbed by the tides of history – until Kate discovers it. Born of love in a time of desperation and danger, Kate's discovery will be the catalyst that changes her life.

England, September 1939; Lily Shepherd boards a cruise liner for a new life in Australia and is plunged into a world of cocktails, jazz and glamorous friends. But six-weeks later the world is at war, the cruise liner docks, and life will never be the same again.

In 1915, two spirited Australian sisters join the war effort as nurses, escaping the confines of their father's dairy farm. But nothing could have prepared them for what they confront, yet they find courage in the face of extreme danger and become the friends they never were before.

'Carol Ann Duffy is the most humane and accessible poet of our time' - Guardian

In this stunning anthology of ninety nine modern and classic poems, Carol Ann Duffy delves into the powerful and unique bond between parent and child. Empty Nest contemplates growing old, the love of a parent, the everyday of family life, as well as poems that explore darker terrains - grief, loss and estrangement. Some of our favourite poets are collected here, such as Elizabeth Bishop, Jackie Kay, Simon Armitage, Shakespeare, Imtiaz Dharker, Seamus Heaney and Don Paterson.

These poems are by turns wry, moving, profound, funny, melancholic and wise; they will console and comfort those suddenly facing a house that may be much cleaner, but is also much quieter, than it once was. There is something here for every reader to treasure.

'Wonderful . . . a poet alert to every sound and shape of language' - Telegraph

First published in 1778, this novel of manners tells the story of Evelina, a young woman raised in rural obscurity who is thrust into London’s fashionable society at the age of eighteen. There, she experiences a sequence of humorous events that teach her how quickly she must learn to navigate social snobbery and veiled aggression. As an innocent young woman, she deals with embarrassing relations, being beautiful in an image-conscious world, and falling in love with the wonderfully eligible Lord Orville.

Teasing out the extraordinary within the everyday, FALSE PRETENCES is a contemporary novel in mosiac. Through the separate yet interlinked stories, it traces the lives of two women as they deal with the complexities of love, private terrors, violence and - most precarious of all - hope. There is mystery, wry humour, sometimes tragedy beneath the jaunty surfaces glimpsed through the years, until, by the end, we have encompassed their lives.

Forget the adventure stories of James Bond, Kim Philby, Klaus Fuchs and co. - espionage is not just a boys' game. As long as there has been conflict, there have been female agents behind the scenes. In Belgium and northern France in 1914-18 there were several thousand women actively working against the Kaiser's forces occupying their homelands. In the Second World War, women of many nations opposed the Nazis, risking the firing squad or decapitation by axe or guillotine. Yet, many of those women did not have the right to vote for a government or even open a bank account. So why did they do it?

Female Secret Agents explores the lives and the motivations of the women of many races and social classes who have risked their lives as secret agents, and celebrates their intelligence, strength and courage.

Jane has given up on love. Then her boss sends her on a press trip to Norway to cover the story of the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree. Jane would much rather wallow at home than spend a week in the fjords. But as she throws herself into the trip and starts to enjoy herself, it seems that love hasn't quite given up on her just yet... Amid all the snow, could a gift be awaiting her underneath the mistletoe?

The early 1800's. Jesse Constam, a highly respected spice merchant, lives in fashionable Gower Street. Saved from poverty himself, he rescues two children from the gutter. Jesse's intervention changes their lives forever. The fate of Abel Lackland and Lilith Lucas and their families become inextricably entwined as they are destined for the vastly different worlds of medicine and the theatre. Book 1 of series.

Mr Baldwin's retirement is something of a disappointment to him. His boredom, his wife’s dismay at the quiet orderliness of her life being destroyed and their growing tension with each other slowly grows, until one day they go for a country walk and discover Weldon Valley. Their lives change forever when they see a house for sale and decide to move there.

From Cotswolds farmland to London fish markets, society ballrooms to icy gutters, this is a tale of prejudice and ambition, power and passion, and one couple's struggle to overcome all obstacles and carve out a life of their own.

It was around 1926 that Marjorie ‘Malachi’ Whitaker wrote her first short story. Described as Bradford’s Chekhov, her stories are concerned with everyday life, are mostly set in Yorkshire and often concentrate on the gender dynamics between men and women.

Linnet O'Neill, heir apparent to Emma Harte, is determined to bring the Harte empire into the twenty-first century. But she and her mother Paula, head of the dynasty, lock horns. When Paula falls dangerously ill, Linnet is suddenly alone at the helm, just as her great-grandmother Emma once was. Linnet finds herself following in the footsteps of the original woman of substance as she battles to save what Emma created – upsetting her sister Tessa, who believes herself to be the rightful heir, in the process. When grief and heartbreak strike the family, all of Emma's great-granddaughters are tested to the limit as the extraordinary story of the Harte family takes another astonishing turn. 

Lost, found, stolen, strayed, sold, fought over... This novel follows the fictional adventures, over a hundred years, of an early 20th-century painting and the women whose lives it touches. It is a novel about what it means and what it costs to be both a woman and an artist, and an unusual, compelling look at a beautiful painting and its imagined afterlife.

Little Charles always knew that, one day, he would have a big job to do. As the son of Queen Elizabeth II, he was a prince and, in the future, he was to inherit the throne of the United Kingdom. As a young man, he developed a passion for one cause; the environment. This inspiring book features presents a detailed profile of the Charles's life, from little prince to grown-up king.

In honour of King Charles III's coronation, this once in a lifetime history book for children tells the story of a young prince who has been heir to the throne since he was just three years old. But what do we know about our new king? From his investiture as Prince of Wales and his time in the navy, to his extensive charity work and now his accession to the throne, young readers will learn what he was like before becoming King, as well as what being king actaully involves.

In London, journalist Jo Clifford plans to debunk the belief in past-lives in a magazine piece. But her scepticism is shaken when a hypnotist forces her to relive the experiences of Matilda, Lady of Hay, a noblewoman during the reign of King John. She learns of Matilda's unhappy marriage, her love for the handsome Richard de Clare, and the death threats handed out by King John, before it becomes clear that Jo’s past and present are inevitably entwined. She realises that Matilda’s story of secret passion and unspeakable treachery is about to repeat itself…

Connie Carter has lost everyone and everything dear to her. Leaving her home in New York, she moves to a run-down Irish mansion, hoping to heal her shattered heart and in search of answers. All she knows about Ludlow is that her late husband spent all their money on the house – without ever mentioning it to her. Now Connie needs to know why.

Eighty years ago, at the end of May 1921, Katherine Mansfield came to Switzerland, to live at the Chalet des Sapins in Montana (now Crans-Montana) in Switzerland. She was 32 and seriously ill with tuberculosis. The next few months were to be the most fruitful period of her life; she did not have much time left to her. The Montana Stories is a new edition compiled and edited by Persephone Books of everything Katherine Mansfield wrote between July 1921 and the end of January 1922 when she went to Paris for medical treatment. For completeness there are also the two stories and an unfinished fragment that she wrote after she left Montana and before her death in January 1923. She had of course written many short stories before, and had published two volumes of these, but as a collection The Montana Stories has a unique quality which inevitably owes something to her ill-health.

In the bleak midwinter... murder awaits. The halls might be decked, and the mistletoe hung, but in these ten classic crime stories you're more likely to come across a corpse under the Christmas tree than a present. From a Santa Claus with a secret to a violent theft that snowballs into something quite unexpected, pull up a chair, throw another log on the fire, and let history's greatest crime writers surprise, delight and chill you to the bone.

In the bleak midwinter... murder awaits. The halls might be decked, and the mistletoe hung, but in these ten classic crime stories you're more likely to come across a corpse under the Christmas tree than a present. From a Santa Claus with a secret to a violent theft that snowballs into something quite unexpected, pull up a chair, throw another log on the fire, and let history's greatest crime writers surprise, delight and chill you to the bone.