Showing results by narrator "Mark Meadows" in All Categories

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.

In Athens, crowds flock to witness the most shocking trial of the ancient world. The royal family is mired in scandal. Phaedra, young bride of King Theseus, has accused her stepson, Hippolytus of rape. He's a prince, a talented horseman, a promising noble with his whole life ahead of him. She's a young and neglected wife, the youngest in a long line of Cretan women with less than savoury reputations. The men of Athens must determine the truth. Who is guilty, and who is innocent? But the women know truth is a slippery thing. After all, this is the age of heroes and the age of monsters.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

What could possibly beat a cool pint of beer down the pub or a lazy glass of wine at your favourite bar? The answer is: home-brewed beer or your very own brand of wine. With this, the twelfth in the River Cottage Handbook series, the inimitable John Wright shows exactly how easy it is to get started. You don't need masses of space to make alcohol at home, and if you follow the simple instructions, you won't be faced with exploding bottles in the cellar. But don't forget, it's all about experimentation and finding out what works for you.

Bread features a host of recipes for all levels of bread-makers, including simple one-flour recipes like soda bread and no-yeast loaves that can be mixed, kneaded and baked in no time at all. First, Daniel examines the key ingredients in baking (flour, yeast, salt and water), explains the science behind the seemingly alchemic processes, and advises on the right kit to get started. He then demonstrates how to make yeast and non-yeast breads, as well as enriched doughs and home-started sourdough.

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?

When Tsar Alexander II decided to drag Russia into the industrial age, he began by inviting Welsh businessman John Hughes to build an ironworks. A charismatic visionary, John persuades influential people to invest in his venture while concealing his greatest secret: he couldn't even write his own name. John recruited adventurers prepared to sacrifice everything to ensure the success of Hughesovka (Donetsk, Ukraine).

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.

Every captain would love Brearley's degree in people, as well as a hardhitting all-rounder like Botham. But theirs was a barely recognisable game from the one we play on often dishevelled grounds up and down the country with ragtag teams of ageing, deluded or hungover friends and acquaintances. Now, Charlie Campbell offers us a New Testament to Brearley’s Old Testament, as he guides us through the realities of captaining an amateur team.