Showing results by narrator "Mark Meadows" in All Categories

After a dramatic accident Kit and his parents find themselves washed up on a small island. But there is no sanctuary here. The local community is hostile and menacing. Soon Kit's life is in danger and he is forced to face not just the inhabitants but a disturbing new arrival whose presence on the island terrifies the community. In his struggle to stay alive and make sense of what is happening Kit is forced to confront good and evil in unexpected forms, even within himself, and face trials and dangers beyond anything he could have imagined.

What secrets lay buried in the heart of the forest? When Maya strays into the forest she also walks straight into a nightmare. It's not just the horrific discovery she makes among the trees, it's what's waiting for her at home. Something too terrifying to believe in. She's not even sure she believes it herself. Perhaps she's going mad, only imagining the sounds in the night and the feeling of being stalked.

The Taliban have disappeared from Kabul's streets, but the long shadows of their brutal regime remain...In his short life, 11-year-old Fawad has known more grief than most: his father and brother have been killed; his sister has been abducted; and Fawad and his mother, Mariya, must rely on the charity of family to eke out a hand-to-mouth existence. But despite their struggles, Fawad's love of life never fades.

Arriving at their idyllic and newly renovated Highland home, worthy of TV's Grand Designs, wealthy 30-somethings John and Laura Payne hope they are leaving their problems behind in the city. But the couple's presence disturbs neighbour and local eccentric Luther Grove, forcing him to confront long-buried secrets - secrets that draw him inextricably to Laura and trigger an instant conflict with John.

Western Australia, 1928. Out on the Tolhurst farmstead, Detective Constable Hartley is working on his very first assignment, looking into reports of a mysterious prowler. Suddenly he is startled by three gunshots ringing out. Investigating the noise, he discovers the corpse of family patriarch Fred O'Donnell, shot in the chest - alone in a room that has been locked from the inside. The dead man was almost universally despised, which doesn't help Hartley narrow down his pool of potential suspects.

Hellenic Gendarme, Major Michail Remis is a man in demand. Feared as much by fellow officers as the criminal underworld, Remis grapples with his own sense of rough justice. When the body of Mossad undercover agent, Konrad Tafel is found deep in the Balkan Mountains, Remis is ordered by his veiled, powerful master, Manolis Callas to clear up yet another unwanted mess. Within hours the policeman is drawn into a web of lies and corruption and finds himself on the trail of a vicious killer.

Taut, brooding and densely atmospheric, these stories show us the ways in which murder can arise out of boredom, perversity can result from adolescent curiosity and sheer evil might be the solution to unbearable loneliness.

Bibi feels out of place everywhere - except for Tyme’s End, the deserted house that she breaks into when she thinks nobody is around. There she unexpectedly meets Oliver Gardner, the owner of the house, who has just returned after ten years away. Their stories and the story of Oliver’s grandfather becomes entwined - for Tyme’s End is more than just a deserted house. It is a house that can be romantic, beguiling, sinister and malevolent. A house that had a cruel and manipulative owner.

Fourteen years ago, scientist William Fox implanted four babies with the Medusa gene, a gene for psychic abilities. But Fox died and the babies were hidden away for years. Now they’re teenagers and unaware that their psychic powers are about to kick in. Cocky, charismatic Nico thinks his emerging telekinetic abilities will bring him money, power and the girl of his dreams. He’s about to find out how wrong he is.

A short story from the British Library Crime Classic collection Final Acts. The cast and crew of a play quickly find themselves under suspicion when their lead actor is discovered dead in his dressing room between acts, with his face made-up a horrifying picture.

Michael Bromley, Duke of Woriton, has a passion, but it’s not for chasing ladies or gambling till dawn. No, his is the far more dangerous pursuit of the science of chemistry. But he’s certainly capable of taking care of his aunt’s perfectly behaved poodle, Lancelot, while she’s on holiday. Elizabeth “Bitsy” Dockering, third daughter of a viscount, is enjoying her second spectacular Season in London. She is a Diamond of the Season and is adored by all—and especially by her precious black poodle, Galahad. But none of them can plan for a chaotic encounter in the park.

Everyday Lou Suffern battled with the clock. He always had two places to be at the same time. He always had two things to do at once. When asleep he dreamed. In between dreams, he ran through the events of the day while making plans for the next. When at home with his wife and family, his mind was always someplace else.

Elisabetta, a feisty beauty who dreams of becoming a novelist, Marco, the brash and athletic son of professional cyclists, and Sandro, a kind-hearted and thoughtful Jewish mathematics prodigy, grow up best of friends. Their friendship blossoms to love, with both Sandro and Marco hoping to win Elisabetta's heart. But in the autumn of 1937, everything changes as Mussolini asserts his power, aligning Italy's Fascists with Hitler's Nazis. Soon, everything that they hold dear is tested in ways they never could have imagined.

Keeping a herd of pigs brings a lot of enjoyment – they are curious, intelligent and (often) lovable animals, with plenty of character. When the time comes, they can provide you with a fine carcass that can be turned into all manner of tasty things. The River Cottage ethos is all about knowing the story behind what’s on the plate, and as Gill Meller explains in this accessible and comprehensive guide, by rearing and butchering your own pigs you’ll be able to create a full range of delicious pork products in the most sustainable, economical and hands-on way possible.

Detective Inspector Sam Berger's life has been turned upside down. He is suspected of a murder and his partner, Secret Service agent Molly Blom, is in a coma. Meanwhile, a terrorist attempt is threatening Stockholm and a wanted murderer is on the loose. Berger escapes to the Stockholm Archipelago while he waits for orders from the Swedish Security Service's chief executive. But is he the solution, or is he part of the problem?

Clones Rachel and Theo now live thousands of miles apart. They keep in touch, but things just aren’t the same. When Rachel discovers that evil scientist Elijah is still working for a secret section of the government and is about to murder Daniel, she sets out to rescue the little boy - but her plans backfire with disastrous consequences. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Theo becomes suspicious when Rachel misses their weekly internet chat.

Shaun is finally free of responsibilities to anyone but himself; single, with two grown up daughters, he is just embarking on a new life in a new country when he gets a call to say his father is dying. His mother has Parkinson's Dementia and is in a care home. Shaun faces a stark choice: should he give up his new-found freedom, or turn his back on the woman he'd fought so hard to protect, not least from his own father? Shaun's mother had loved and cared for her son all her life. Could he now do the same for her?

Brimming with wisdom and humour, David Kynaston’s diaries written over one football season offer up his most personal take on social history to date. David Kynaston was seven and a half years old when he attended his first Aldershot match in the early months of 1959. So began a deep attachment to the game and a lifelong loyalty to an obscure, small-town football club. Though as he sits down to write his diaries almost 60 years on, he reflects that life might have been simpler if his father had never taken him to that first match at the Rec....

The last thing psychotherapist Harry Hope expects on his walk home one evening is to be knifed. At first, he thinks it’s a random event. But as the police investigate further, seemingly unrelated attacks, Harry is shocked to discover that every victim is linked to him - and that his name is on a death list. Why? Teaming up with his old friends DI Theo McCannon and DS Libby Harding, Harry is forced to delve into the dark and twisted world of a cold and calculating killer.

Harry, Lucas and Guy were best friends when they were kids. But then they made a terrible mistake and their friendship shattered, forcing them to cut all ties. Years later, a man’s head is discovered in the woods, skinned and with the tongue cut out. The police call on Harry, a psychologist, to help with the case, and when it turns out the victim is his childhood friend Guy, old skeletons begin to surface. Then one of Harry’s clients goes missing. Forced into a desperate hunt to save the boy, Harry finds himself closing in on a shocking secret.