In the far south of New Zealand, in the remote Fiordland village of Manapouri, Ruth Shaw runs two tiny bookshops. In this memoir, she weaves together stories of the characters who visit her shops, musings about favourite reads, and bittersweet stories from her full and varied life, which has been crammed with incredible escapades. After becoming the first New Zealand Wren to go AWOL, Ruth has sailed the Pacific for years, been boarded by pirates, and worked the yacht BREAKSEA GIRL with her husband Lance. Travelling to various countries, she's worked as a chef and for an illegal bookie, run street gambling games and a free-range pig farm, provided counselling and assistance to drug users and sex workers, and campaigned on numerous environmental issues. And there have been deep losses and long-held pain - balanced out, though, by her beautiful love story with Lance, and her delightful sense of humour.

The Bookseller at the End of the World

NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES. Season 2 out March 2025!‘I was hooked from the first page, wonderful’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A perfect locked room mystery’ My Weekly ‘Cosy crime at its best’ Crime Monthly ‘Satisfying locked-room mystery’ Saga ‘Cleverly plotted and laugh-out-loud funny’ Yours magazine ‘The perfect cosy crime to curl up with’ Heat * * * It’s been an enjoyable and murder-free time for Judith, Suzie and Becks – AKA the Marlow Murder Club – since the events of last year. The most exciting thing on the horizon is the upcoming wedding of Marlow grandee, Sir Peter Bailey, to his nurse, Jenny Page. Sir Peter is having a party at his grand mansion on the river Thames the day before the wedding, and Judith and Co. are looking forward to a bit of free champagne. But during the soiree, there’s a crash from inside the house, and when the Marlow Murder Club rush to investigate, they are shocked to find the groom-to-be crushed to death in his study. The study was locked from the inside, so the police don’t consider the death suspicious. But Judith disagrees. As far as she's concerned, Peter was murdered! And it’s up to the Marlow Murder Club to find the killer before he or she strikes again… * * * Readers are GRIPPED by Death Comes to Marlow: ‘Thoroughly enjoyable locked-room murder mystery. Judith, Suzie and Becks are a formidable trio . . . . I highly recommend this book, and can’t wait for the next in the series’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Cozy crime at its best’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Brilliant, brilliant book. Catchy, funny, witty, well written . . . this was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘[A] wholly entertaining, engaging and thoroughly enjoyable romp in Marlow, with a glorious protagonist and a colourful cast of supporting characters. Wonderful escapism’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Never a dull moment, lots of red herrings, plenty of humour and a plot worthy of Agatha!!!’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Marlow Murder Club Mysteries

Death Comes to Marlow

The top 10 Sunday Times bestsellerNOW A MAJOR TV SERIES. Season 2 out March 2025!‘I love the audacity of the Marlow gang, those ladies sure know how to live’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fiendishly clever and a satisfying puzzle to try and solve’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A brilliant whodunnit mystery that keeps you guessing’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ * * * Who killed the Mayor? It’s up to the Marlow Murder Club to find out … Geoffrey Lushington, Mayor of Marlow, dies suddenly during a Town Council meeting. When traces of aconite – also known as the queen of poisons – are found in his coffee cup, the police realise he was murdered. But who did it? And why? The police bring Judith, Suzie and Becks in to investigate as Civilian Advisors right from the start, so they have free rein to interview suspects and follow the evidence to their heart’s content, which is perfect because Judith has no time for rules and standard procedure. But this case has the Marlow Murder Club stumped. Who would want to kill the affable Mayor? How did they even get the poison into his coffee? And is anyone else in danger? The Marlow Murder Club are about to face their most difficult case yet … * * * Praise for The Marlow Murder Club Mysteries: ‘I love Robert Thorogood’s writing’ Peter James ‘Cosy crime at its best’ Crime Monthly ‘Cleverly plotted and laugh-out-loud funny’ Yours magazine ‘The perfect cosy crime to curl up with’ Heat

The Queen of Poisons

NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES. Season 2 out March 2025!‘I want to be Judith Potts when I grow up’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Read the whole thing in one day . . . I was hooked. It had me laughing to myself all day. Would recommend' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Comedy, thrilling, suspenseful. It was a brilliant read’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A deftly plotted, funny and unexpected murder mystery . . . Highly recommended!’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ * * * To solve an impossible murder, you need an impossible hero… Seventy-seven-year-old Judith Potts is blissfully happy. She lives alone in a faded mansion in Marlow, sets crosswords for The Times, and there’s no man in her life to tell her what to do or how much whisky to drink. One evening, while out swimming in the Thames, Judith witnesses a brutal murder. When the local police don’t believe her story, Judith and two unlikely friends decide to investigate for themselves. Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club. But soon another body turns up, and it seems they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. Now the puzzle they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never escape… * * * Praise for Robert Thorogood ‘Agatha Christie with a modern twist’Sun ‘This brilliantly crafted, hugely enjoyable and suitably goosebump-inducing novel is an utter delight from start to finish’ HEAT ‘A hugely enjoyable murder mystery written with wonderful verve, humour and compassion. Utterly delightful’ Robert Webb

The Marlow Murder Club

USA TODAY BESTSELLER! ""One adorably British odd couple . . . Charming."" — People “An exquisitely poignant tale of life, friendship and facing death . . . heart-breaking yet ultimately uplifting . . Everyone should read this book.” — Ruth Hogan, author of Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel Infused with the emotional power of Me Before You and the irresistible charm of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Be Frank with Me, a moving and joyous novel about an elderly woman ready to embrace death and the little girl who reminds her what it means to live. It's never too late to start living. Eudora Honeysett is done with this noisy, moronic world—all of it. She has witnessed the indignities and suffering of old age and has lived a full life. At eighty-five, she isn’t going to leave things to chance. Her end will be on her terms. With one call to a clinic in Switzerland, a plan is set in motion. Then she meets ten-year-old Rose Trewidney, a whirling, pint-sized rainbow of sparkling cheer. All Eudora wants is to be left alone to set her affairs in order. Instead, she finds herself embarking on a series of adventures with the irrepressible Rose and their affable neighbor, the recently widowed Stanley—afternoon tea, shopping sprees, trips to the beach, birthday celebrations, pizza parties. While the trio of unlikely BFFs grow closer and anxiously await the arrival of Rose’s new baby sister, Eudora is reminded of her own childhood—of losing her father during World War II and the devastating impact it had on her entire family. In reflecting on her past, Eudora realizes she must come to terms with what lies ahead. But now that her joy for life has been rekindled, how can she possibly say goodbye?

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett

Rosalind and her husband Paul move from Australia to England due to his job with a multinational company. But Paul is called away to deal with a crisis in Hong Kong, and Rosalind is left to settle in a new country on her own. One by one her three grown children need help, and there is only Rosalind available, because as usual Paul puts his job first. When she finds out that her husband has been unfaithful for years, it appears to be the final blow to their marriage, especially as she has met another man. Rosalind's confidence grows as she wins acclaim as an embroidery artist and comes into an inheritance that will give her financial independence. Will her loyalty keep her with her husband, or will Paul get more than he'd bargained for with the new Rosalind?

Change of Season

Sigmund Freud is suspected of having raped one of his patients. The young woman is in a vegetative state and unable to communicate. The Public Prosecutor investigates Freud, and there is no shortage of witnesses willing to testify against the Professor. Anna starts to suspect that her father is the victim of a conspiracy. While Sigmund tries to defend against the allegations against him, Anna and Karl have to try to solve the case...

A Historical Psycho Thriller Series

A Historical Psycho Thriller Series - The Sigmund Freud Files, Episode 4: Stimulus

A new patient appears on Sigmund Freud?s roster. The initial session soon takes a dramatic turn when the man pulls a gun on Freud. The day before, he murdered his own father, and now he demands absolution from the Professor. While Anna contacts Karl and they both hold an emergency session right outside the therapy room in an effort to put an end to the hostage situation, Sigmund tries to use all means at his disposal to persuade the man to surrender before a disaster occurs...

A Historical Psycho Thriller Series - The Sigmund Freud Files, Episode 2: Father and Son

The Cemetery of the Nameless in Vienna is where those who take their own lives are buried - suicide victims who jumped into the Danube to kill themselves. But when the obvious victim of a murder washes up on the banks of the Danube, Karl initiates a homicide investigation. Supported by Anna and Sigmund, Constable Gruber heads into the world of prostitutes and pimps in Vienna's red-light district.

A Historical Psycho Thriller Series - The Sigmund Freud Files

A Historical Psycho Thriller Series - The Sigmund Freud Files, Episode 5: Cemetery of the Nameless

A mysterious homicide case leads to Constable Karl Guber to seek out psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud for the first time. The daughter of the director of the Wiener Burgtheater has been murdered under gruesome circumstances: the corpse has been drained of all its blood. Detective Gruber suspects that a vampire is on the loose in Vienna. Sigmund Freud feels compelled to put an end to the superstition and to track down the real killer...

A Historical Psycho Thriller Series - The Sigmund Freud Files, Episode 1: The Second Face

Includes an exciting sneak peek extract from Three Sisters - the conclusion to The Tattooist of Auschwitz Trilogy. Available now. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is one of the bestselling books of the 21st Century. Now, in this essential companion, Heather Morris presents an inspiring manual for life, with a series of tales of the remarkable people she has met, the incredible stories they have shared with her, and the lessons they hold for us all. In Stories of Hope, Heather will explore her extraordinary talents as a listener - a skill she employed when she first met Lale Sokolov, the tattooist at Auschwitz-Birkenau and the inspiration for her bestselling novel. It was this ability that led Lale to entrust Heather with his story, which she told in her novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz and the bestselling follow up, Cilka's Journey. Now Heather shares the story behind her inspirational writing journey and the defining experiences of her life, including her profound friendship with Lale, and explores how she learned to really listen to the stories people told her - skills she believes we can all learn. 'Stories are what connect us and remind us that hope is always possible.' Heather Morris An international phenomenon, The Tattooist of Auschwitz trilogy has sold over 16 million copies worldwide. And coming in September 2023, Heather Morris's phenomenal new novel of resilience and hope, Sisters under the Rising Sun, available to pre-order now.

Stories of Hope

The follow-up to Tangled Threads, Margaret Dickinson's Twisted Strands follows the dramatic highs and lows of the Hardcastle family as they endure the upheaval caused by war. It is 1914, and Eveleen Hardcastle, now in in her early thirties, has married Richard. As the First World War breaks out, Eveleen, a sophisticated young woman, is left to manage the factory while Richard goes off to fight for his country. Eveleen's mother Mary has found happiness at last in her marriage to Josh. Her young granddaughter, Bridie, still lives at home, and is beautiful, but has a spirited, strong will which her grandmother finds hard to control. Bridie is secretly besotted with her godfather, Andrew, whom she is convinced she will marry when she is older. While the war plays out, Bridie becomes a nurse, looking after wounded soldiers billeted in the local Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire stately homes and there finds a vocation that is both rewarding and gives her a maturity beyond her years . . .

Twisted Strands

‘Like a hot cup of tea on a wintry afternoon – absolute comfort’ Reader review‘Wow – definitely my book of the year… in my all time top ten!’ Reader review ‘This is undoubtedly one of the best books that I have read this year’ Reader review ‘An exquisitely poignant tale of life, friendship and facing death… Everyone should read this book’ Ruth Hogan, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things Eudora Honeysett is done – with all of it. Having seen first-hand what a prolonged illness can create, the eighty-five-year-old has no intention of leaving things to chance. With one call to a clinic in Switzerland she takes her life into her own hands. But then ten-year-old Rose arrives in a riot of colour on her doorstep. Now, as precocious Rose takes Eudora on adventures she’d never imagined she reflects on the trying times of her past and soon finds herself wondering – is she ready for death when she’s only just experienced what it’s like to truly live? A heartfelt story of life, death, friendship and family perfect for fans of Gail Honeyman. *Shortlisted for the RNA Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year Award* Readers love Eudora! ‘I have to say this is the best book that I have ever read! Being in my 40s I've read a lot of books!’ Lyn ‘One of those that I will always remember…it really has touched me like no other book has’ Sylvia ‘I read this book in one sitting because the characters were so real I didn't want to leave them’ Cheryl ‘One of the most uplifting and heartwarming books of 2020’ Kelly ‘Absolutely the book we need right now…Uplifting, warm and all about the power of friendship, this book felt like a tonic to the madness of the world’ Andi ‘One heroine I will never forget…We all need friends like Eudora, Stanley and Rose in our lives. Their kindness is a shining light in these stormy times’ Celia Anderson, bestselling author of 59 Memory Lane ‘Strikes a winning balance, reaching deep feelings while avoiding the traps of sentimentality’ Publishers Weekly ‘Unique and wonderful…a sensitive examination of human connections’ Kirkus Reviews

Eudora Honeysett is Quite Well, Thank You

Red Sky in the Morning is an unputdownable historical story from Margaret Dickinson, richly evocative of the Lincolnshire landscape. A young girl stands alone in the cobbled market place of a small Lincolnshire town, bedraggled, soaked through and very afraid. Who is she? Where has she come from and from whom is she running away? No one knows or cares. Only kindly farmer, Eddie Appleyard, recognizes something in the girl that touches his heart. In a drunken haze and scarcely realizing what he is doing, Eddie takes her home. Eddie hides the girl in the hayloft and, later, in a tumbledown shepherd's cottage that becomes her new home. Anna's arrival will change their lives; Eddie's, his wife Bertha's and even that of their young son, Tony, torn between his warring parents and the mysterious stranger. It will take years for the secrets of Anna's former life to be revealed, but Bertha bides her time and awaits her moment, little realizing the tragedy her vengeance will unleash.

Red Sky in the Morning

Shots echo through Vienna?s streets at dawn. A sniper has holed up in a church tower and threatens to shoot anyone who dares to show themselves on the square below. Constable Karl Gruber can persuade Freud to help him find a diplomatic solution to the situation. Under time pressure and against strong resistance from Karl?s police colleagues, Freud negotiates with the man who - just like Karl - fought in the front lines in World War I. Sigmund Freud has to do everything he can to stop the shooter from carrying out further bloodshed...

A Historical Psycho Thriller Series - The Sigmund Freud Files, Episode 3: Injury

A bank is robbed in Vienna. The constables quickly arrive on the scene - one of the bank robbers is arrested while the others flee with the loot. Karl involves Sigmund in the questioning of the arrested man - the mentally unstable man is the only chance they have to find the other robbers and their spoils.

A Historical Psycho Thriller Series - The Sigmund Freud Files, Episode 6: To Be and To Have

For more than 50 years, Wendy McCarthy has been on the leading edge of Australian feminism, and her trailblazing advocacy and leadership have made her a widely respected and revered figure: a woman who shaped her times as much as she was shaped by them. Now, at 80 years of age, she shares her remarkable life and achievements. From sheltered country schoolgirl to relentless campaigner for abortion and contraception, from passionate teacher to lifelong advocate for education, Wendy smashed the glass ceiling again and again. She has championed change in human rights, public health, overseas aid and development, conservation, heritage, media and the Arts. This inspiring and enlightening memoir is filled with cautionary tales and insider stories about being female in Australia; as well as a few helpful survival tips. Above all, it encourages the reader to find their own voice - and listen to it.

Don't Be Too Polite, Girls

When an old prison is renovated, the fragile diary of one of the inmates is found. The entries contained detailed information about a series of unsolved murders from a long time ago. With Anna's support, Karl starts to interview former inmates of the prison while Sigmund tries to identify the killer on the basis of the diary entries. Who is the killer? And has he really shed his diseased ambitions?

A Historical Psycho Thriller Series - The Sigmund Freud Files, Episode 8: Disease and Symptom

When two little children are murdered and the suspect - the children's mother as well as one of Freud's patients - is arrested, the Professor is compelled into action: he is sure the suspect is innocent. Instead he suspects the children's father committed the murder. He is able to persuade Karl Gruber of his suspicions. Together, they explore the family background behind the case... but will they be able to prevent an impending disaster in time?

A Historical Psycho Thriller Series - The Sigmund Freud Files, Episode 7: Hatelove

In the quiet of a New Zealand winter’s night, a rescue helicopter is sent to airlift a five-year-old boy with severe internal injuries. He’s fallen from the upstairs veranda of an isolated farmhouse, and his condition is critical. At first, Finn’s fall looks like a horrible accident; after all, he’s prone to sleepwalking. Only his frantic mother, Martha McNamara, knows how it happened. And she isn’t telling. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Tragedy isn’t what the McNamara family expected when they moved to New Zealand. For Martha, it was an escape. For her artist husband Kit, it was a dream. For their small twin boys, it was an adventure. For sixteen-year-old Sacha, it was the start of a nightmare. They end up on the isolated east coast of the North Island, seemingly in the middle of a New Zealand tourism campaign. But their peaceful idyll is soon shattered as the choices Sacha makes lead the family down a path which threatens to destroy them all. Martha finds herself facing a series of impossible decisions, each with devastating consequences for her family. ‘Original, wonderfully written and utterly gripping, this is a corker of a tale.’ The Sun ‘After The Fall is a gripping tale that would appeal to fans of Jodi Picoult and Joanna Trollope.’ Red Online

Charity Norman Reading-Group Fiction

After the Fall

As she approached the age of seventy, Ruth Wilson began to have recurring dreams about losing her voice. And as she grappled with feelings of unfathomable sadness, she made the radical decision to retreat from her conventional life with her husband to a small sunshine-yellow cottage in New South Wales, Australia where she lived alone for the following ten years. Ruth had fostered a lifelong love of reading, and from the moment she first encountered Pride and Prejudice in the 1940s she had looked to Jane Austen's heroines as her models for the sort of woman she wanted to become. She resolved to re-read Austen's six novels; to reflect on her life in relation to what she discovered in each of them. And as Ruth read between the lines of both the novels and her own life, she began to reclaim her voice. A beautiful, life-affirming memoir of love, self-acceptance and the curative power of reading. Published the year Ruth turns ninety, The Jane Austen Remedy is an inspirational account of the lessons learned from Jane Austen over nine decades, as well as a timely reminder that it's never too late to seize a second chance.

The Jane Austen Remedy - It is a truth universally acknowledged that a book can change a life (Unabridged)

Gwinny Tuffel is preparing for her first acting role in a decade in the West End, but she is dog-sitting on the side to keep the wolf from the door. So, when ageing rock star Crash Double needs help with his Border Collie, she jumps at the chance. After all, looking after the charming Ace on Crash's Little Venice houseboat shouldn't be an onerous task. But that's before the singer's dead body surfaces during the annual Canal Carnival festivities. While the police dismiss the death as an accident, Gwinny suspects murder most foul. With a medley of suspects and some far-fetched motives to make heads or tails of, it is up to Gwinny, with Ace's on-the-ground knowledge, to make sure the killer faces the music.

Dog Sitter Detective

The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead

The new cosy crime novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author. THE MARLOW MURDER CLUB is now a major TV series. Season 2 out March 2025!Exclusive to the audiobook: includes an exclusive Q&A between author Robert Thorogood and narrator Nicolette McKenzie! ‘Step aboard for another sparkling Marlow Murder Club yarn … The best thing since Jerome K Jerome!’ Orlando Murrin, author of Knife Skills for Beginners * * * * Verity Beresford is worried about her husband. Oliver didn’t come home last night so of course Verity goes straight to Judith Potts, Marlow’s resident amateur sleuth, for help. Oliver, founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, had hired The Marlow Belle, a private pleasure cruiser, for an exclusive party with the MADS committee but no one remembers seeing him disembark. And then Oliver’s body washes up on the Thames with two bullet holes in him – it’s time for the Marlow Murder Club to leap into action. Oliver was a rather complicated chap and he wasn’t short of enemies. Judith, Suzie, and Becks are convinced they’ll crack the case in no time. But things are not as they seem in the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, and the gang will need to keep their wits about them, otherwise a killer may sail away scot-free … * * * * Praise for Robert Thorogood ‘Cosy crime at its best’ Crime Monthly 'A light-hearted romp with gallons of humour, mystery and brilliant sleuthing' The Sun ‘Full of unexpected twists and turns … we will be enjoying the mysteries of Robert Thorogood for many years to come' Daily Mail 'Fiendishly clever and funny, with delightful and original characters. I loved it!' Roz Watkins ‘Thrilling and heartfelt, gripping and wonderfully humorous … an absolute joy from first page to last' Chris Whitaker

Murder on the Marlow Belle

Retired actress Guinevere 'Gwinny' Tuffel is finding life hard after inheriting her late father's run-down house and discovering she's broke. But Gwinny is delighted to be at Hayburn Stead for her best friend Tina's wedding to a handsome Italian business magnate. However, before they get the chance to declare 'till death do us part', the husband-to-be is found dead in the library and Tina is accused of his murder. Convinced of her friend's innocence, Gwinny must uncover the real killer from a pool of larger-than-life suspects, while also suddenly finding herself looking after Tina's expensive and demanding saluki dogs . . .

The Dog Sitter Detective

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