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Dame Maggie Smith stands as a remarkable example of the concomitance – in a performer’s career – of typecasting and characterisation, that is the ability to impersonate ‘against type’ infinitely various screen or stage characters.This book of appreciation essentially aims at correcting the preconceived image that the general public has of Dame Maggie Smith. Focusing on the last twenty-five years, it examines, through the many parts she has played since the early 1990s, her ability to go beyond typecasting and give, thanks to her chameleon skills, nuanced and convincing portrays of infinitely diverse characters.From The Importance of Being Earnest to Gosford Park and Becoming Jane, to Downton Abbey and Sister Act, to The Last September and the Harry Potter saga, Dame Maggie Smith has had a wide spanning career in TV and Film. Not to mention her theatrical work on the stage.

Following on from Arthur’s first novel, Far, Far the Mountain Peak, this next novel follows John Denby into adolescence. As he begins to explore his sexuality, he begins to realise that he is not attracted to females.As he struggles to come to terms with his homosexuality, John is faced with decisions that affect his relationships. As he tries desperately to be accepted in school and amongst his friends, he turns to the wider community and to his religion for help and guidance. But will those that he hopes can help him understand this development in his life have his best interests at heart?

Jack Carpenter has come a long way since he was born in the East End of London, the son of a docker and his wife. Now, according to The Times rich list, he is one of the richest men in England. His generosity is well-known and when he steps in to stop a development outside Winchester and turns it into park land, cricket pitches and football ground, he is widely praised by the local community. But underneath his confident persona lies a troubled man. Locked into an unhappy marriage with his wife Sophie and two children, Harry and Jenny, he is shocked to find that he has a daughter from a relationship in the past. Her name is Francine and Jack hopes that she will bring him the happiness he so longs for. But there is jealousy fermenting in someone’s soul and one by one his family is destroyed.Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Appleman of the Hampshire police is assigned to the case along with his old colleague, Sergeant Paul Flower. It soon becomes obvious that the killer is obsessed with a shocking motive. The two detectives fear they are up against a very unhinged and clever killer who is running rings around them. The final murder leaves Jack a broken man and a daughter fighting to keep him alive.

The tension is very high in Fairydell wood, as each fairy has to claim the prettiest flower to wear to the ball where the Prince has to take a bride. They all think that the Prince will choose Ashleigh, so the fairies must come up with a devious plan to make sure that there are no flowers left for her. There is, of course, just one flower that remains, the beautiful and extremely vain Mrs Foxglove. However, all the fairies know that she would never part with even one of her beautiful petals. Ashleigh has to try and persuade her, and then get the flower to Mrs Webb before she closes as she could transform it with her shimmering thread into an amazing gown, all before midnight and the third stroke of the bell where the Prince has to take a bride.

Sorak is elected as the Chair of the city Senate, having remained after returning with Nasa and her son from their home in the hidden valley. A society based on the equality between the genders is slowly being established. Free of the harsh and rigid control of the old regime, many of the imperfections of a free society emerge. But not everybody is happy and below the surface, a body of women resent what Sorak is trying to do. Evidence of people living in the forest on the other side of the plain surrounding the city is detected. Belief that the original founders of the city had landed in their spacecraft in this forest area leads Nasa, Sorak's former slave and now partner, to seek out these forest people. Evidence confirms that the ancient stories about the beginnings of the are true. Contact is made with the forest people, but all is not what it seems...

When life's getting you down, sometimes a PEP Talk is all you need!Fuelled by positivity and empowerment, PEP Talk provides proven psychotherapy techniques for readers to work with themselves in order to improve their positive mental health performance. Taking the reader through personal life examples in a humorous manner, PEP Talk shows how our beliefs, habits, behaviour and influences can all affect our well-being. With so much emphasis currently being placed on dealing with mental health issues, PEP Talk offers a unique perspective that delivers methods that could prevent these issues in the first place. Sit back. Relax. Your PEP Talk journey begins here...

General Haig, Noël Coward, Butch Cassidy, Margaret Thatcher’s bloomers and a racehorse strongly resembling Shergar feature in So Last Century, the new collection of astute and witty stories from award-winning journalist and author Charles Nevin.So Last Century begins with Edward VII on a tricky country house visit and ends with one of the first national lottery winners struggling with fame, fortune and romance. On the way you’ll meet music hall entertainers in the First World War and two remarkable double agents in the Second, get raided in a 1920s London night club, take part in some lively coronation celebrations, and discover what really might have happened when the World Cup was stolen in 1966. Be warned: after this, you will never view the twentieth century in quite the same way again…

“I, Archimedes the mathematician, son of Phidias the astronomer, prostrate myself before the goddess of wisdom. May Athena restore our people to her favour and see us through the descending storm…”So begins The Beast in the Labyrinth, a story of sly and pitiless ambition.Hieron, the tyrant of Syracuse, is struggling to chart a course between the warring empires of Rome and Carthage. His only close confidante is his eccentric cousin, Archimedes. But Hieron is ninety years old, and his nobles are scheming in the shadows. The two old men turn to Dion, the kingdom’s most brutal warrior.Surrounded by smiling enemies, and menaced by the rival empires, Dion’s mental stability comes under increasing pressure. Will he prove the kingdom’s salvation or its destruction?

Isaac is a twelve-year-old human, George is a talking pig, and together they’ve been on many outlandish adventures, most of which have been given to them by the Queen. This time, she’s sent them to kill the deity Thunder. Why? I don’t know. They don’t know either. They’re just trying to have a fun day trip.On their quest they will encounter sentient biscuits, neglectful parents, corrupt government officials and multiple cease-and-desist letters. Straight out of training and the no-nonsense foil to the two buffoons, Allie, sent by the Queen herself, will join them on their journey, kicking up a fuss whenever she can.Sat in his castle, Thunder and his biscuit companion, Mallorie, remain vigilant of their many enemies. The adventure awaits. Will Isaac and George complete their mission and kill Thunder?

Women as seen through the eyes of men! Set in a Paris restaurant, a reunion of old school friends provides a vehicle for the telling of after-dinner anecdotes on the theme of male–female relationships. A chance meeting, a moment of love, a tender memory, a bitter one.The stories unfold in North Africa and France across the twentieth century. A fine irony runs through the book, as much a work of social criticism as human romance. One story harks back to childhood, another chronicles the ravages of old age. Some are poignant, others are wry and witty, all are wise and well observed. A recurrent theme emerges in the way that, for Albert Memmi, an individual woman in her uniqueness embodies the essence of all femininity. He pays homage to women, as only a man who loves them can do.

Two teenage girls from opposite sides of the tracks in 1960s Midlands England are forced into prostitution in this engrossing tale of loss, liberty, and love.Weep at the relationship between clever Janet and spoiled Priscilla, as their handsome, young English teacher, Mr Edwards – and his corrupting father – become embroiled in their tortuous journeys.But then a smart heroine Tara fatefully enters the fray on a secret detective mission.Dramatic and topical events include a city-slum killing, police malfeasance, newspaper-business bribery, emotional blackmail, destitute homelessness, and a mountaineering adventure.This saga combines a socio-political struggle by the under-privileged against repression, with both feminine and asexual insights into love, to produce a thought-provoking, yet stylishly old-fashioned, romantic rollercoaster.

King Alfred is dead and the achievements that made him great are in jeopardy. Rebels challenge the succession of his son Edward to the Wessex throne, and his old ally in Mercia is sick. The Vikings in the Danelaw sense the time has come to complete their conquest of England.It falls on Alfred’s firstborn, his daughter, Æthelflæd, to unite the Anglo-Saxons. Reluctantly, she takes up the challenge. But can a woman rebuild ruined towns and lead men into battle against hardened Viking warriors? And can Æthelflæd fulfil her father’s dream of uniting England?Based on contemporary sources and archaeological evidence, King Alfred’s Daughter is rich in drama, family conflict and historical achievement.

Cornish Villages is a unique book exploring twenty-two villages within Cornwall. Many are archetypical Cornish fishing villages, others have been built to serve the mining and quarrying industries. Each chapter includes photographs taken by the author and a section on places to see nearby, covering beaches, coastal walks, visitor attractions and towns; so each adventure can last a day or more.The villages are arranged in order of location, to enable easy holiday planning and to assist local people in choosing an area to visit. There is also a map of Cornwall, which pinpoints the location of each village explored.

When the battered body of a woman is found in some local woods, Inspector Dick Beauregard is surprised to discover that she had just checked out of the hotel run by ex-Detective Inspector Clive Walsingham. He originally treats Clive as a suspect, but the investigation makes little headway until a second body, a man, is found. Mysteriously, a newspaper cutting dated two days after he was murdered is found in his pocket.Both victims were parents of one of five schoolgirls who disappeared in mysterious circumstances ten years ago. Under mounting pressure, Inspector Beauregard asks Clive Walsingham to help.In a complicated and occasionally shocking investigation, Clive and his wife, Clare, re-examine the circumstances surrounding the original disappearance of the schoolgirls. But, when an intriguing discovery is made, they realise they are at risk from an unlikely source. With their lives at stake, they must act quickly.

London, 1891. Deliveries. Opium. Regret. The only three things twenty-one-year-old Gabriel Ashmore’s life consists of until four murder victims are found in the increasingly criminal city, all marked with the same black veins. Gabriel is connected to all four. He delivered Erebus to them, a new opium variant on the market, after being forced to provide for his family following the brutal death of his mother four years ago. Fearing his involuntary part in the murders, he becomes embroiled in an amateur investigation led by the wealthy aspiring detective Alexander Wakefield, supported by the Leader of the Opposition, Lord Benedict Granville. However, when they witness the fifth death, they realise nothing is as it seems in the city of veils and shadows. Truths become twisted, secrets are revealed and it soon becomes clear they are not dealing with a single killer, but the greatest criminal plot London has ever seen.'A darkly enchanting and engrossing read – kept me hooked from start to finish.' James Brogden, critically acclaimed author of Bone Harvest

How far would you go for the one you love?Qasim has everything planned out: a bright future, the love of a girl who shares his dreams, and a loving family. But all that changes in a matter of seconds.On a Thursday evening, two suicide bombers blow themselves up in the middle of a crowded religious shrine in Lahore’s famous Anarkali market. Qasim and Asma, two people from opposite ends of society, are wrenched apart in the cataclysmic upheaval caused by the explosion.Spanning years and stretching from the busy streets of Lahore to the rugged and desolate mountains of Swat, each must chart a way through the wreckage and find their way back to each other. This is a story of finding one’s identity, of holding onto love, and knowing when to let go.

Europe’s small islands are wonderfully varied. Some are well known: the beautiful Bled Island in Slovenia attracts thousands of visitors. Others, like Snake Island, the subject of a lengthy dispute between Ukraine and Romania, are almost unheard of. The warm and welcoming Greek islands of Patmos and Spetses contrast with Solovetsky in Russia’s White Sea, the scene of Stalin’s gulag archipelago. There is the baroque bling of Italy’s Isola Bella, far removed from St Kilda, where a hardy Celtic community struggled to harvest seabirds from its vertiginous cliffs. The urban chic of Paris’s Île Saint-Louis could not be more different to ‘Europe’s last feudal state’ of Sark in the Channel Islands.Illustrated with 140 stunning photographs, The Amazing Small Islands of Europe records forty islands, all with fascinating histories. There is much to delight the armchair traveller, together with practical information should he or she wish to visit them.

Toto’s a dog with a lot of personality but very little clue. He and his pal Monty spend their days getting up to various scrapes in their seaside hometown. One day, a bruising encounter with a biffing great Boxer dog leads to a series of ever more farcical misunderstandings for Toto, much to Monty’s guffawing delight. The day sees Toto get himself into a bother as he goes round town trying to put things right, but only ending up more and more muddled.But does he let his misfortunes get on top of him? Well, yes, he does. But not for long! With a spoonful of spring and a dollop of doggedness, he goes from never failing to get it wrong to managing, somehow, someway, to get it right. And he learns a valuable thing or two about friendship along the way.

This is not the Garden of Eden, but it is my patch of heaven. Steal my apples. Come and get them.When an asylum seeker is discovered sleeping rough at an allotment site, the plot-holders are alarmed and hostile. However, in secret, Walter begins to leave out food for Osama. Thus, a friendship begins on a garden bench, between a grieving widower and an asylum seeker on the run from the authorities.Walter is rooted in his home city; Osama belongs nowhere. Walter has a safe and routine life; Osama’s life is uncertain, risky and vulnerable. Walter feels powerless to help him, while at the same time he struggles to understand his own daughters and their lives. Then, one day, Walter discovers Osama is not who he says he is…

As part of his seventy-fifth birthday celebrations, Ray Matthews set himself a challenge to run seventy-five marathons in seventy-five days to raise seventy-five thousand pounds. Impossible was the judgement of most. But only those who risk going too far can find out how far they can go…Raised in a Catholic, working-class family in Rotherham, Ray was forced to make important decisions throughout his youth that would give him the mental strength to endure a series of physically gruelling challenges in later life. He became a boxer at the age of ten, forging the standards that led to a positive lifestyle and his belief that the difference between the possible and the impossible often lies between our own two ears. Path to Success documents how you need to be willing to stand on the start line, mentally and physically, because vision without action is nothing more than a dream.'A humorous and uplifting memoir with intertwining reminders to live your life away from other people’s expectations.' Amber Stainrod, editor of Aroundtown Magazine

When is enough, enough?High-powered Sophie Taylor thinks baby-making can happen on the fly. Managed alongside work, marriage, an MBA and travel, she decides to launch Project Bébé. Successful at everything, Sophie expects and always scores one hundred per cent. That is until the shocking failure of one fertility treatment after the next.As the heart-breaking reality of infertility sinks in, Sophie owns up to another almost unspeakable loss and faces difficult decisions when she’s targeted as the love interest of a high-powered financier. Through a colleague, a mother of four, she learns that motherhood is not all it’s cracked up to be. Just as Sophie feels satisfied with the advantages of a childfree lifestyle, a fateful meeting changes everything…Triumphant, joyous and full of hope, Mine is a captivating story about a less understood route to motherhood: the fertility option Sophie almost forgot.

‘We must always be wary of the longlegs for they are unpredictable and puzzling.’Join Stikki on his madcap adventures as he leaves his nest and sets off to explore the world around him.Mischevious and a little reckless, Stikki manages to get himself into scrapes at almost every turn. When Stikki and his sisters, Mollie and Tia, venture out of their familiar surroundings for the first time, life changes dramatically for our little explorers.Danger and peril lay on their chosen path – and, as with every exciting adventure, there are spills and thrills and good friends to be made along the way.A whimsical, heartfelt story of friendship, bravery and love for each other.

Jim is a self-employed web developer living in Cardiff. Successful professionally, the future also looks rosy for his personal life, having recently proposed to his girlfriend, Ffion. However, when the couple decide to celebrate their engagement with his much-loved dad, Callum, Jim’s world is tilted on its axis.Jim is convinced he spotted his dad staring at him – just for a split second – with a look of pure hatred. Did he imagine it? However, when a series of bizarre and catastrophic events strike Jim’s life in quick succession, he starts to wonder if the look he received from his father could mean something.Eventually, Callum makes a confession that will lead to the total collapse of Jim’s life as he knows it…

Raised among the Cambridge intellectual elite with a distant father and authoritarian mother, Eliza grows up feeling inadequate and alone. But her parents’ friends offer support – notably the Rothschild family and Lord Bob Boothby.In a bid to find love, she marries a charismatic young actor, but when he lands the star role in a Fellini film, his focus turns elsewhere. As feelings of rejection set in, Eliza looks inward for answers, her spiritual search begins and she escapes to the Yorkshire Dales and pours her energy into writing, photography and teaching meditation.As shadows from the past recede, horizons expand, and Eliza perceives a series of betrayals among her parents’ friends that make her question her own paternity. Determined to uncover the truth, she begins unravelling a tangled web of secrecy and scandal that not only touches upon her own family, but extends to the highest levels of government.

Young Paul Goetz loves aeroplanes and so joins the Luftwaffe as soon as he can. Like so many, he’s taken in, swept along in the unquestioning tide of excitement, keen to be airborne as a fighter pilot.His first posting sees him sent to Leningrad in December 1941. His squadron shoot down huge numbers of enemy aeroplanes and victory seems certain, but the war drags on for a second winter, becoming increasingly difficult. Comrades are lost or reported ‘Vermisst’ – missing – and he learns of terrible German activities across the east. Then, Paul’s nightmare becomes reality, when his engine fails behind enemy lines, and he is captured…Vermisst: Missing in Russia is a rarity; an English-language novel written from a German viewpoint. Rich in historical details and packed with exciting aerial combat scenes, it is a gripping war story of extreme conditions, and survival in the harshest captivity.

In August 1914, the lives of two young people seem mapped out in front of them. Frank, happily employed as a bank teller, is to marry his fiancée in the spring. Emily is also to marry around the same time. Both are natives of Jarrow. Their homes are about a ten-minute walk away – but they have never met.Then, everything changes. Carried along with the jingoistic national celebration that follows the declaration of war, Frank enlists in the army, leaving his family and fiancée behind. Shortly after this, a devastating loss leaves a massive void in Emily’s life. To help fill that void, she volunteers with the Voluntary Aid Detachment.By the end of summer 1916, both Frank and Emily are serving in France. Their lives intersect twice, once in France and once in Jarrow. After they meet, the destiny for one is tragedy, and for the other, hope.

Think global, act local! Trades councils are the place workers and unemployed trade unionists, in local and national forums, can come together to pass resolutions and plan actions; in workplaces and on the streets; to change laws, change minds, show solidarity, lead and inspire; encourage demonstrations, occupations and industrial actions; to provide confidence and political tools to working people. Union leaders have tended to constrict these assemblies while radicals have often wanted to further empower them. Trades councils’ histories have often been marginalised, hidden from the very localities from which they sprang – until now.Come Together explores trades councils in Britain from 1920 to 1950 – their role in the General Strike of 1926, unemployment responses in the 1930s, the impact of World War II, their interactions with British communists – with lessons for today’s activists.