Matthew Sweet – författare

'The most popular novel of the nineteenth century, and still one of the best plots in English literature' Sarah WatersThe original 'sensation novel', The Woman in White opens with Walter Hartright's eerie encounter with a strange, solitary woman on a moonlit London road. Engaged as a drawing master to the beautiful Laura Fairlie, Walter becomes embroiled in the sinister intrigues of Sir Percival Glyde and his 'charming' friend Count Fosco, who has a taste for white mice, vanilla bonbons and poison. Pursuing questions of identity and insanity along the corridors of English country mansions and the madhouse, this is the first and most influential of the Victorian genre that combined Gothic horror with psychological realism. Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Matthew Sweet

Part of Penguin's beautiful hardback Clothbound Classics series, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith, these delectable and collectible editions are bound in high-quality colourful, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design. The Woman in White famously opens with Walter Hartright's eerie encounter on a moonlit London road. Engaged as a drawing master to the beautiful Laura Fairlie, Walter is drawn into the sinister intrigues of Sir Percival Glyde and his 'charming' friend Count Fosco, who has a taste for white mice, vanilla bonbons and poison. Pursuing questions of identity and insanity along the paths and corridors of English country houses and the madhouse, The Woman in White is the first and most influential of the Victorian genre that combined Gothic horror with psychological realism.

Suppose that everything we think we know about 'The Victorians' is wrong? That we have persistently misrepresented the culture of the Victorian era, perhaps to make ourselves feel more satisfyingly liberal and sophisticated? What if they were much more fun than we ever suspected? Matthew Sweet's Inventing the Victorians has some revelatory - and entertaining - answers for us. As Sweet shows us in this brilliant study, many of the concepts that strike us as terrifically new - political spin-doctoring, extravagant publicity stunts, hardcore pornography, anxieties about the impact of popular culture upon children - are Victorian inventions. Most of the pleasures that we imagine to be our own, the Victorians enjoyed first: the theme park, the shopping mall, the movies, the amusement arcade, the crime novel and the sensational newspaper report. They were engaged in a well-nigh continuous search for bigger and better thrills. If Queen Victoria wasn't amused, then she was in a very small minority . . .Matthew Sweet's book is an attempt to re-imagine the Victorians; to suggest new ways of looking at received ideas about their culture; to distinguish myth from reality; to generate the possibility of a new relationship between the lives of nineteenth-century people and our own.

This is a wonderful secret history of British movies that includes the scandals, the suicides, the immolations and the contract killings - the product of thousands of conversations with veteran film-makers. Here you'll meet, among many others, the 20s film idols snorting cocaine from an illuminated glass dance floor on the bank of the Thames, the model who escaped Soho's gangsters to become the queen of the nudie flicks and the genteel Scottish comedienne who, at the age of fifty-five, reinvented herself as a star of exploitation cinema, and fondly remembers 'the one where I drilled in people's heads and ate their brains'. Welcome to the lost worlds of British cinema.

The Ritz, the Savoy, the Dorchester and Claridge's - during the Second World War they teemed with spies, con-artists, deposed royals and the exiled governments of Europe. And now, Matthew Sweet's West End Front is just as teeming with the incredible cast of characters from this unique period of London's history.Meet the girl from MI5 who had the gravy browning licked from her legs by Dylan Thomas; the barman who was appointed the keeper of Winston Churchill's private bottle of whisky; the East End Communist who marched with his comrades into the air-raid shelter of the Savoy; the throneless prince born in a suite at Claridge's declared Yugoslav territory for one night only. Matthew Sweet has interviewed them all for this account of the extraordinary events that unfolded under the reinforced ceilings of London's grand hotels.Using the memories of first-hand witnesses, the contents of newly declassified government files and a wealth of previously unpublished letters, memoirs and photographs, he has reconstructed a lost world of scandal, intrigue and fortitude.

Set in Nebraska in the '90s Will a bit of a social outcast and Mike the popular football player figure out that there is more to life than what high school has taught them. Days after graduation they explore their relationship and begin to ask themselves where their lives begin. Based on the album by Matthew Sweet Girlfriend is a pop/rock musical for everyone who's lived in a small town and feels for their first love.

‘[A] witty, unusual murder mystery’ SUNDAY TIMESA compelling wartime mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime and Foyle's War. SUMMER 1944.The tide of war is turning. The Allies are at the gates of Paris. But the Nazis have one last chance of victory – and its success depends on a traitor in the quiet English village of Larkwhistle in the New Forest.When Jill Metcalfe receives the news of her brother Henry’s death from his friend, US Air Force officer Jack Strafford, she learns of more than just his loss – she is recruited to continue his mission.Jack has come to the village in the hope that Henry’s cryptic last words will reveal the identity of the traitor he is hunting. With Jill at his side, they begin to investigate. ​But someone doesn’t want them looking into what happened to Henry. And when a body is discovered, it seems like there might be more to this little village – and its inhabitants – than first meets the eye.   ​Will they discover the traitor in their midst, or will the war claim more victims? ​​

‘[A] witty, unusual murder mystery’ SUNDAY TIMESA sharp and compelling wartime mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime and Foyle's War.SUMMER 1944.The tide of war is turning. The Allies are at the gates of Paris. But the Nazis have one last chance of victory – and its success depends on a traitor in the quiet English village of Larkwhistle in the New Forest.When Jill Metcalfe receives the news of her brother Henry’s death from his friend, US Air Force officer Jack Strafford, she learns of more than just his loss – she is recruited to continue his mission.Jack has come to the village in the hope that Henry’s cryptic last words will reveal the identity of the traitor he is hunting. With Jill at his side, they begin to investigate. ​But someone doesn’t want them looking into what happened to Henry. And when a body is discovered, it seems like there might be more to this little village – and its inhabitants – than first meets the eye.​Will they discover the traitor in their midst, or will the war claim more victims?

Penniless virgins. Reckless dukes. Flappers. Airmen. Suffragettes. Barbara Cartland made them fall in love. She wrote 723 books without touching a typewriter: instead, she reclined on her sofa with a Pekinese on her lap - and romantic fiction billowed out of her.This dazzling biography reveals the woman behind the powder and mascara - a clever, socially precarious writer navigating a twentieth-century world of war-damaged men, class conflict and sexual peril.After 49 proposals, she chose the wrong one. What followed was a life stranger than any of her novels.From country house weekends to Fleet Street offices, from Mayfair bedrooms to the divorce court, Matthew Sweet traces Cartland's extraordinary journey through a century of upheaval. Here are terrorist plots, psychic seances, suppressed scandals, plagiarism battles in the cutthroat world of romance publishing - and a surprising turn as a campaigner for Romany rights.Drawing on unprecedented access to Cartland's vast archives and firsthand accounts from those who knew her, Sweet delivers a wonderfully entertaining study of class, fame, scandal and self-aggrandisement. Part satire, part biography, part social history, The Great Dictator reveals how a literary legend was made.

Penniless virgins. Reckless dukes. Flappers. Airmen. Suffragettes. Barbara Cartland made them fall in love. She wrote 723 books without touching a typewriter: instead, she reclined on her sofa with a Pekinese on her lap - and romantic fiction billowed out of her.This dazzling biography reveals the woman behind the powder and mascara - a clever, socially precarious writer navigating a twentieth-century world of war-damaged men, class conflict and sexual peril.After 49 proposals, she chose the wrong one. What followed was a life stranger than any of her novels.From country house weekends to Fleet Street offices, from Mayfair bedrooms to the divorce court, Matthew Sweet traces Cartland's extraordinary journey through a century of upheaval. Here are terrorist plots, psychic seances, suppressed scandals, plagiarism battles in the cutthroat world of romance publishing - and a surprising turn as a campaigner for Romany rights.Drawing on unprecedented access to Cartland's vast archives and firsthand accounts from those who knew her, Sweet delivers a wonderfully entertaining study of class, fame, scandal and self-aggrandisement. Part satire, part biography, part social history, The Great Dictator reveals how a literary legend was made.

'A remarkable story of subterfuge and brainwashing that few Hollywood scriptwriters could have made up' Simon Heffer, author of The Age of DecadenceIn 1967, at the height of the Vietnam War, an exodus begins. A thousand American deserters and draft-resisters escape the brutal fighting for the calm shores of Stockholm. These defectors are young, radical and want to start a revolution. The Swedes treat their new guests like rock stars - but the CIA is going to put a stop to that.It's a job for the deep-cover men of Operation Chaos and their allies - agents who know how to invade radical organizations and crush them from the inside. And within a few months, the GIs have turned on each other - and the interrogations and recriminations begin. A gripping espionage story filled with a host of extraordinary and unbelievable plays, Operation Chaos is the incredible but true account of the men who left the war, how they betrayed each other and how they became lost in a world where anything seemed possible - even the idea that the CIA had secretly programmed them to kill their friends.

Adapted from the major television series created by Mark Gatiss - out now!'A delicious read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEWLondon, 1946. Gabriel Book is an erudite and unconventional London bookseller married to Trottie, the owner of the wallpaper shop next door. He is also a sleuth who uses the chaotic riches of his stock to crack the puzzling cases that come his way.He does not work alone. Book's shop is a magnet for waifs and strays - some of whom bring mysteries of their own to his door. There's Nora, sometime bookseller and true crime enthusiast; Dog, connoisseur of ginger biscuits and then Jack, whose arrival at the shop forces Book to confront a loose end from his own past.Clever, endearing and entertaining, Bookish is a warm-hearted and unexpected mystery, about books, murder and the secrets we all keep.

Adapted from the major television series created by Mark Gatiss - out now!'A delicious read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEWLondon, 1946. Gabriel Book is an erudite and unconventional London bookseller married to Trottie, the owner of the wallpaper shop next door. He is also a sleuth who uses the chaotic riches of his stock to crack the puzzling cases that come his way.He does not work alone. Book's shop is a magnet for waifs and strays - some of whom bring mysteries of their own to his door. There's Nora, sometime bookseller and true crime enthusiast; Dog, connoisseur of ginger biscuits and then Jack, whose arrival at the shop forces Book to confront a loose end from his own past.Clever, endearing and entertaining, Bookish is a warm-hearted and unexpected mystery, about books, murder and the secrets we all keep.

Adapted from the major television series created by Mark Gatiss - out now!'A delicious read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEWLondon, 1946. Gabriel Book is an erudite and unconventional London bookseller married to Trottie, the owner of the wallpaper shop next door. He is also a sleuth who uses the chaotic riches of his stock to crack the puzzling cases that come his way.He does not work alone. Book's shop is a magnet for waifs and strays - some of whom bring mysteries of their own to his door. There's Nora, sometime bookseller and true crime enthusiast; Dog, connoisseur of ginger biscuits and then Jack, whose arrival at the shop forces Book to confront a loose end from his own past.Clever, endearing and entertaining, Bookish is a warm-hearted and unexpected mystery, about books, murder and the secrets we all keep.

Adapted from the major television series created by Mark Gatiss - new season coming soon!London, 1946. Much of the capital, and indeed the country, remains beset by rationing and bomb damage. But for some there are other, more immediate concerns: crimes of a serious and sometimes deadly nature.Inspector Bliss of Bow Street occasionally enlists the services of Gabriel Book, proprietor of Book's Books: antiquarian and amateur sleuth, whose appetite for mystery is rivalled only by his enthusiasm for rare second-hand volumes.Working alongside Book are his wife and wallpaper shop-owner, Trottie; true crime fanatic Nora; and Jack, who's surprised to have found a home at Book's. They are all overseen by Dog, when otherwise unoccupied by his hunt for ginger biscuits.Together, they sell books and solve crimes. But Book has his own personal mystery to solve - one that's haunted him for over a decade - and with each passing day, he draws closer to the truth.Warm-hearted, witty and perfect for book lovers, Bookish Vol.II is a surprising, entertaining mystery about books, murder and the lengths we'll go to keep our secrets safe. READERS LOVE BOOKISH'A delicious read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Charming and entertaining' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'An enjoyable and very clever read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'So unique and if you are a murder mystery fan give it a go' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Adapted from the major television series created by Mark Gatiss - new season coming soon!London, 1946. Much of the capital, and indeed the country, remains beset by rationing and bomb damage. But for some there are other, more immediate concerns: crimes of a serious and sometimes deadly nature.Inspector Bliss of Bow Street occasionally enlists the services of Gabriel Book, proprietor of Book's Books: antiquarian and amateur sleuth, whose appetite for mystery is rivalled only by his enthusiasm for rare second-hand volumes.Working alongside Book are his wife and wallpaper shop-owner, Trottie; true crime fanatic Nora; and Jack, who's surprised to have found a home at Book's. They are all overseen by Dog, when otherwise unoccupied by his hunt for ginger biscuits.Together, they sell books and solve crimes. But Book has his own personal mystery to solve - one that's haunted him for over a decade - and with each passing day, he draws closer to the truth.Warm-hearted, witty and perfect for book lovers, Bookish Vol.II is a surprising, entertaining mystery about books, murder and the lengths we'll go to keep our secrets safe. READERS LOVE BOOKISH'A delicious read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Charming and entertaining' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'An enjoyable and very clever read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'So unique and if you are a murder mystery fan give it a go' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We’re all stories in the end…In this exciting collection you’ll find all-new stories spinning off from some of your favourite Doctor Who moments across the history of the series. Learn what happened next, what went on before, and what occurred off-screen in an inventive selection of sequels, side-trips, foreshadowings and first-hand accounts – and look forward too, with a brand new adventure for the Thirteenth Doctor.Each story expands in thrilling ways upon aspects of Doctor Who’s enduring legend. With contributions from show luminaries past and present – including Colin Baker, Matthew Waterhouse, Vinay Patel, Joy Wilkinson and Terrance Dicks – The Target Storybook is a once-in-a-lifetime tour around the wonders of the Whoniverse.