When Jim Maddern – well-respected police sergeant and pillar of the local community – begins to act completely out of character, ex-Met officer John Cannon is concerned. As Cannon tries to find out what has got Maddern so spooked, he discovers that death threats have been sent to Maddern and his family via the local paper after Maddern stumbled on the paperboy's criminal lineage. Their intervention after a...

Dr Kate Hanson and the Unsolved Crime Unit face the year-old murder of a female student. But with little forensic evidence and unreliable witnesses, Kate realizes that she must find the killer's motive. She looks beyond what she has been told by those who knew the victim and into the psyche of a murderer, who Kate suspects is ready to kill again.

Peter Diamond, the Bath detective brilliant at rooting out murder, is peeved at being diverted to Professional Standards to enquire into a police car accident. Arriving late at the scene, he discovers an extra victim thrown onto an embankment - unconscious and unnoticed. Diamond administers CPR, but no one can say whether the elderly tricyclist will pull through. But why had the man been out in the middle of the...

Varjak Paw is a Mesopotamian Blue kitten. He lives high up in an old house on a hill. He's never left home, but then his grandfather tells him about the Way - a secret martial art for cats.

Now Varjak must use the Way to survive in a city full of dangerous dogs, cat gangs and, strangest of all the mysterious vanishings.

Immerse yourself in a world where the wonderful Stephen Fry reads some of the more memorable short stories of our time. A brilliant combination of reader and writer come together in these seven short stories available on digital download only. Immerse yourself in a world where the wonderful Stephen Fry reads some of the more memorable short stories of our time. Stephen's voice takes you into a different kind...

This nineteenth-century French thriller tells of the mysterious Erik, grotesque and elusive phantom, who hides himself from the world in the labyrinthine bowels of the Paris Opera and entices with his angelic voice the beautiful opera singer Christine. Her abduction prompts a dramatic search not only for her, but also for the truth about her strange captor.

The adventure on this tape is - Rupert and The Umbrella Boy

The adventures on this tape are - Rupert and The Snow Puzzle and Rupert and The Red Box

A Genius Performance by Ian Carmichael!

It is 1936 and Lord Peter Wimsey has returned from his honeymoon to set up home with his cherished new wife, the novelist Harriet Vane.

Britain had the biggest empire the world has ever known. At one time, a quarter of the global land mass was British. Over a third of the world was insured at Lloyds. At his coronation, more than 400 million people saluted George V. Truly, the sun never set on this historical phenomenon. Whatever the day...

A weight-losing recipe sends a portly Victorian housemaid literally sky-high. Mrs Next-Door, the queen of copycats, drives her patient neighbour mad with rage; the tragic tale of the ghost of Fairacre; the touch-and-go romance of Elsie Parker. In Over the Gate, Miss Read, the village schoolmistress, continues to...

Having escaped an Irish famine only to become enmeshed in an American war, Eliza Duane Mooney sets out across the country on a mysterious quest. Stunning poetess Lucia-Cruz McLelland denies a host of suitors to cast her fate with James Con O'Keeffe, convict, revolutionary, and Acting Governor of the...

Wives and Daughters is a sensitive coming-of-age tale set within a provincial town in Victorian England. Having lost her mother at a young age, Molly Gibsons entrée into womanhood and navigation of the adult world of attraction and relationships is stilted. By contrast, her stepsister Cynthia emanates self-confidence and is bolstered by her conniving, opportunistic mother. By unhappy mischance, Molly falls for...

Little Nell and her grandfather live a contented life, enjoying each others companionship and the delights of their wonderful shop of curiosities. Overshadowing their happiness, however, are money woes and the mean and voracious intents of their landlord the repulsive dwarf Quilp.  Naxos

The Narnia Chronicles, first published in 1950, have been and remain some of the most enduringly popular children’s books ever published. The best known, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, has been translated into 29 languages. With performers including Lynn Redgrave, Alex Jennings, Patrick Stewart, Michael York, Kenneth Branagh, Jeremy Northam and Derek Jacobi, this is a tour de force.

Easter, as the last snows melt on the Swedish island of Öland, Per Morner is preparing for his children’s visit. But his plans are soon disrupted when he receives a phone call from his estranged father, Jerry, begging him for help. In his blazing woodland studio, Per finds Jerry close to death. He’s been stabbed and two dead bodies have been discovered alongside him in the burnt-out building. The only suspect, Jerry’s...

From her lookout on the first floor, Ginny watches and waits for her younger sister to return to the crumbling mansion that was once their idyllic childhood home. Vivien has not set foot in the house since she left, forty-seven years ago; Ginny, the reclusive moth expert, has rarely ventured outside it. But with Vivien's arrival, dark, unspoken secrets surface. Told in Ginny's unforgettable voice, this debut novel tells a...

A century on, the poets of the First World War remain justly famous as the chroniclers of their time. This spoken word CD marks the centenary by telling the story of the war in the words of poets young and old. Hear the early patriotic optimism of John Galsworthy and Robert Bridges. Set out to war in the company of Rupert Brooke and Wilfred Owen. Learn of the premonitions at home from W B Yeats and Thomas Hardy.

"It is time to effect a revolution in female manners - time to restore to them their lost dignity - and make them, as a part of the human species, labour by reforming themselves to reform the world. It is time to separate unchangeable morals from local manners.” Set against the backdrop of a world and society in turmoil during the various revolutions across the globe, and written before the term “feminism” had...

Lucy Christopher’s debut novel Stolen was an international hit and was recognized with a Printz Honor. In Flyaway, Christopher crafts a touching novel about hope, friendship, and family. When her father collapses from heart problems and is taken to the hospital, 13-year-old Isla is racked with guilt and fear. She was the one who insisted her father take her out that morning to look at the wild swans, and now she could...

Like the bestsellers Blink and Freakonomics, this lively narrative is a fresh view of the world, explaining the previously inexplicable and revealing hidden influences on human decision-making. A Harvard Business School student pays over $200 for a $20 bill. Washington, DC, commuters ignore a free subway concert by a violin prodigy. A veteran airline pilot attempts to take off without control tower clearance and...

The fifth in the new Naxos AudioBooks series In a Nutshell - The French Revolution is a short and accessible introduction to one of the most important periods in European history. It brings vividly to life the implacable Robespierre, the frightened Marie Antoinette and the iconic image of the guillotine. But it also demonstrates the key role the Revolution played in the development of European politics.

MGB officer Leo is a man who never questions the Party Line. He arrests whomever he is told to arrest. He dismisses the horrific death of a young boy because he is told to, because he believes the Party stance that there can be no murder in Communist Russia. Leo is the perfect soldier of the regime. But suddenly

Narrated by BAFTA-winning actor Will Poulter Kavanagh begins his life patrolling the Wall. If he's lucky, if nothing goes wrong, he only has two years of this, 729 more nights. The best thing that can happen is that he survives and gets off the Wall and never has to spend another day of his life anywhere near it. He longs for this to be over; longs to be somewhere else. He will soon find out what Defenders do and who the...

It was a dark and stormy night when Mary Crane glimpsed the unlit neon sign announcing the vacancy at the Bates Motel. Exhausted, lost, and at the end of her rope, she was eager for a hot shower and a bed for the night. Her room was musty, but clean, and the manager seemed nice, if a little odd. This classic horror novel, which inspired the famous film by Alfred Hitchcock, has been thrilling people for 50 years.

A sweltering week in late August. Where better to enjoy the last days of summer than on the beautiful Bay of Naples? All along the coast, the Roman Empire's richest citizens are relaxing in their luxurious villas. The world's largest navy lies peacefully at anchor in Misenum. The tourists are spending their money in the seaside resorts of Baiae, Herculaneum and Pompeii. Only one man is worried. The engineer...

Michel Thomas has taken the language-learning world by storm. With no books, no memorising and no homework, Michel teaches the basic grammar of the language painlessly. Using the method he perfected over 50 years, he now shares his secret with the world - and 'makes it simple' (Sunday Times). In only a matter of hours, he gives you a comprehensive grasp of the structure of the language, enabling you...

Learn another language the way you learnt your own! As a child, you learnt your own language naturally and enjoyably: now you can learn French vocabulary in the same way. - Use the unique method perfected over fifty years by the celebrated psychologist and linguist Michel Thomas - This method works with your brain, helping you to build up your French in manageable, enjoyable steps by thinking out the answers...

Instant New York Times Bestseller “Hilarious and big-hearted, The Nest is a stellar debut.” — People, Book of the Week “Her writing is like really good dark chocolate: sharper and more bittersweet than the cheap stuff, but also too delicious not to finish in one sitting.”— Entertainment Weekly “Humor and delightful irony abound in this lively first novel.”— New York Times Book Review A warm, funny and acutely...

Annette Remmington is a London art consultant and private dealer at the top of her game. When a rare and long lost Rembrandt finds its way into her hands – and sells in a frantic and high profile auction – she is at the pinnacle of her career and becomes the most talked about art dealer in the world. Marius Remmington is Annett's husband. For twenty years, Marius has groomed her into the international art star that...

The New York Times Bestseller Blows your mind on every page' Caitlin Moran Should be mandatory reading for anyone who cares about the next generation' Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone Peggy Orenstein broke ground with her bestselling Girls & Sex, exploring young women's right to pleasure and agency in sexual encounters. Now she turns her focus to...

William Stoner is born at the end of the nineteenth century into a dirt-poor Missouri farming family. Sent to the state university to study agronomy, he instead falls in love with English literature and embraces a scholar's life, far different from the hardscrabble existence he has known. And yet as the years pass, Stoner encounters a succession of disappointments: marriage into a "proper" family estranges him from...

After the body of a disgraced college lecturer is found on an abandoned railway line with a large amount of money in his pocket, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks suspects that the victim's death may be connected to his past at a university that was ahotbed of political activism.

A Genius Performance by Martin Jarvis!

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness" starts this novel and, after many wonderful hours, our hero declares, "It is a far, far better thing that I do now than I have ever done; It is a far, far better rest that I go to now than I have ever known".

A Genius Performance by Stephen Fry!

The 7th and final book in the series.

Battle must begin - Harry must stand and face his enemy.

Perhaps the greatest poem of the Western world, The Iliad tells the story of fifty critical days towards the end of the Trojan war. Achilles has quarrelled with Agamemnon and sulks in his tent, while Hector brings his Trojans to the brink of victory; but fate will have the last word.

England, the 1520s. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is his chief advisor, charged with securing the divorce the pope refuses to grant. Into this atmosphere of distrust and need comes Thomas Cromwell, first as Wolsey's clerk, and later his successor. Cromwell is a wholly original man...

A sweltering week in late August. Where better to enjoy the last days of summer than on the beautiful Bay of Naples? All along the coast, the Roman Empire's richest citizens are relaxing in their luxurious villas. The world's largest navy lies peacefully at anchor in Misenum. The tourists are spending their money in the seaside resorts of Baiae, Herculaneum and Pompeii. Only one man is worried. The engineer...

There was once a time, nearly four thousand years ago, when the tall towers of a city called Troy reached gleaming into the sky; when its proud king fought against an invading army in a desperate siege. The Tale of Troy was so important to the ancient Greeks that its author, Homer, became a kind of hero. Long after his death artists, thinkers, and ordinary people still look to his tale for inspiration. This exciting version of the...

A mysterious sea monster, theorized by some to be a giant narwhal, is sighted by ships of several nations; an ocean liner is also damaged by the creature. The United States government finally assembles an expedition to track down and destroy the menace. Professor Pierre Aronnax, a noted French marine biologist and narrator of...

There are five stories in this fine collection: "An Account of Some Strange disturbances in Aungier Street" by J S Le Fanu This is one of my favourite ghost stories and the best of the lot for causing the spine to tingle. Two students move into an old house that, although supposed to be unoccupied, is haunted by a former owner - a very terrifying old fellow who seems intent on doing them some unspeakable evil.

Ever since the first night at the St James's Theatre on 14 February 1895, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST has been recognised as one of the world's finest comic dramas. Now Judi Dench as Lady Bracknell leads an outstanding cast in this superb new production of Wilde's masterpiece, mounted to celebrate the centenary of the first performance.

This was the second Lord Peter Wimsey story to be adapted for radio in the mid-seventies. Broadcast May 5th to June 16th 1975, it was adapted by Chris Miller and produced by Simon Brett. The case of Agatha Dawson is closed, but Lord Peter Wimsey is not satisfied. With no clues to work on, he begins his own investigation. Then Agatha's maid is...

My Man Jeeves, first published in 1919, introduced the world to affable, indolent Bertie Wooster and his precise, capable valet, Jeeves. Some of the finest examples of humorous writing found in English literature are woven around the relationship between these two men of very different classes and...

Disco 1 1.Visit to the "Pawnbroker Woman" 2.Raskolnikov Meets Malmedov 3.Home of Malmedov 4.Letter from Raskolnikov's Mother 5.Letter Takes Its Effect 6.Preparation for * 7.At the Door of the Pawnbroker 8.Unexpected Appearance 9.After the * 10.Police Station 11.Fever Disco 2 1.Raskolnikov's Friends Are Concerned 2.Zossimov Tells Dushkin's Story 3.Luzhin Makes His Appearance 4.Raskolnikov Reads...

Here is a history of Britain by one of its finest statesmen, a man who had himself crucially shaped events during perhaps the greatest crisis of modern times. Churchill's resonant prose brings to vivid and compelling life the political, constitutional and military landmarks of our history his purpose, to show that a sense of how man may live decently and democratically grew from the heritage of these islands.

The musical is one of the great art forms of the 20th century. Showboat, Anything Goes, Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma!, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Oliver, Cabaret - one masterpiece after another packed the theaters on Broadway, in London's West End, and around the world. And it made a successful transfer to cinema. A truly popular art, the musical closely reflected society and its needs - sometimes providing...

Dante's vision, The Divine Comedy, has profoundly affected every generation since it first appeared in the early 14th century. Here is a brief account of his life, compiled from various sources (including his first biographer, Boccaccio) by Benedict Flynn, whose new translation of the Comedy has been widely acclaimed. It sets the known facts of Dante's life against the turmoil of the times, and puts the very personal...

The great myths of ancient Greece, including Gods and Titans, Perseus, The Labours of Hercules, The Adventures of Theseus, and Jason and the Argonauts come to vivid life, in this audio retelling

Maupassant is hailed as one of the greatest masters of the short story. This collection focuses upon the land he knew and loved so well - Normandy. Its people and its countryside are portrayed here in vivid color and with great warmth. Amusing, saucy, and sometimes even farcical they may be, but they are also capable of great pathos, often branching off to end tragically. It is this skilful and affecting blend of tragedy...

David Nice's detailed essay on the life and works of Stravinsky with music selections from many of his greatest works.

This account is written by Jinananda, an English-born Buddhist. The three CDs are divided into three "Jewels": "The Buddha", a life of the historical figure; "The Dharma", an account of the fundamental teachings; and "The Sangha", the disciples, both lay and monastic throughout the world.

This item is a combination of a paperback book and 2 CDs of music spanning Lizst's career. Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811–1886) was an anomaly. A virtuoso pianist and electrifying showman, he toured extensively throughout the European continent, bringing sold-out audiences to states of ecstasy while courting scandal with his frequent womanizing.

An entrancing but sad story of a poverty-stricken Massachusetts farmer caught in a loveless marriage. The main characters are Ethan Frome, his wife Zenobia, called Zeena, and her young cousin Mattie Silver. Frome and Zeena marry after she nurses his mother in her last illness. Although Frome seems ambitious and intelligent, Zeena holds him back. When her young cousin Mattie comes to stay on their New England...

1 Introduction - The Philadelphia Orchestra 2 Royal March Of The Lion - Johnny Morris 3 Cocks And Hens - The Philadelphia Orchestra 4 Wild Asses - The Philadelphia Orchestra 5 The Tortoise - The Philadelphia Orchestra 6 Elephants - The Philadelphia Orchestra 7 Kangaroos - The Philadelphia Orchestra 8 Aquarium - The Philadelphia Orchestra 9 People With Long Ears - The Philadelphia Orchestra 10 The Cuckoo In...

A selection of love scenes from 20 of Shakespeare's best known plays.

In these stories, Conan Doyle draws the listener in to experience drama, suspense and, ultimately, the shock of surprise. Here is a unique combination of a famous analytical intellect telling spine-tingling tales against a background of turn-of-the-century England. Nothing is quite as it seems. What is the secret of Lot No. 249? What lies in wait for an aviator in the stratosphere? And what lies inside The Sealed Room?

This charming collection includes such classic favorites as The Ugly Duckling, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Little Match Girl, Big Claus and Little Claus and more.

In this entertaining anthology of seven new ghost stories, written especially for Naxos AudioBooks, we meet all kinds of phantoms in different situations: a kind-hearted but accident-prone spectre unwittingly upsetting a family home, as well as ghosts in ancient Egypt, on board a pirate ship, and in a Newcastle swimming pool. Engaging and slightly sinister, The Clumsy Ghost and Other Spooky Tales is a delightful...

A selection of some of the most famous fairy stories which every child needs to foster their imagination. The following stories can be found on this title: "The Story of the Three Little Pigs", "The History of Dick Whittington", "Beauty and the Beast", "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", "Puss in Boots", "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Ali Baba", "The Brave Little Tailor", and "The Princess on the Glass Hill".

Jockey Kelly Hughes and trainer Dexter Cranfield had been barred from racing - a devastating event for them both. The charge at the secret enquiry? Throwing a race for personal profit. It was a vicious frame-up and, worse, they had nowhere to turn to clear their names.

Crime and Punishment is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It was first published in the literary journal The Russian Messenger in twelve monthly installments during 1866. It was later published in a single volume.

It is WW2 and Captain Charles Ryder reflects on his time at Oxford during the twenties and a world now changed. As a lonely student Charles was captivated by the outrageous and decadent Sebastian Flyte and invited to spend time at the Flyte's family home - the magnificent Brideshead.

Billy Connolly has been making us laugh since the early 70's with his unique look at life and the people he meets. He was the innovator of new wave stand-up and still packs out gigs around the world. Here in Two Night Stand, he allows us to enjoy some of the very best from his phenomenal career. This set also includes Pamela Stephenson's book Billy, performed by the author and Billy Connolly's World Tour of Australia.

The enthralling, honest, often funny memoirs, of the north country girl who came to London acted at the Royal Court Theatre and married England’s greatest actor, Laurence Olivier.

Conspiracy thrillers don’t come any bigger or better than The Key – from the author of Top 5 Bestseller Sanctus: ‘Plenty of action, plenty of intrigue and wonderfully imaginative. The sort of novel to devour in one sitting' Kate Mosse Hounded. Haunted. Hunted. She is the most important person in the world.

In the chilly, damp Autumn of 1144, two groups of visitors seek the hospitality of the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and Brother Cadfael fears the trouble has come in with them. Among the first arrivals is Brother Tutilo, a young Benedictine with a guileless face and- to Brother Cadfael's shrewd eyes- a mischievous intelligence. The second group, a ribald French troubadour, his servant and a girl with the voice of...

Des O'Connor has been a major star in Britain since landing his first television series in 1963. Now, in his own words, he relives the events of his extraordinary life in an autobiography that is both candid and entertaining. From his childhood struggle against ill-health in London's impoverished East End to his current positions as international showbiz icon, Des O'Connor talks with humour and affection about his...

This wonderful collection of poetic performances includes readings of John Betjeman, Lewis Carroll, Spike Milligan, Roald Dahl, Noel Coward, Cole Porter, Dorothy Parker, Tom Lehrer, Joyce Grenfell, Ogden Nash and many others.

The Borrowers live in the secret places of quiet old houses: behind the mantelpiece, inside the harpsichord, under the kitchen clock. They own nothing, borrow everything and think that human beings were invented just to do the dirty work. Arrietty's father, Pod, was an expert Borrower. He could scale curtains using a hatpin and bring back a doll's teacup without breaking it. Girls weren't supposed to go...

Rebecca is widely regarded as Daphne du Maurier's finest novel. It tells the story of Manderley - an exquisite house with gardens down to the sea, its owner Max de Winter and his new young wife...and of course Rebecca.

In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was: 'Hey, you!' This is the Discworld, after all, and religion is a controversial business. Everyone has their own opinion, and indeed their own gods, of every shape and size, and all elbowing for space at the top. In such a competitive environment, shape and size can be pretty crucial to make one's presence felt. So it's certainly not helpful to be reduced to appearing in the form...

Emily Brontë's novel of impossible desires, violence and transgression is a masterpiece of intense, unsettling power. It begins in a snowstorm, when Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange on the bleak Yorkshire moors, is forced to seek shelter at Wuthering Heights. There he discovers the history of the tempestuous events that took place years before: the intense passion between the foundling Heathcliff...

In his SELECTED POEMS 1976-1997, Andrew Motion has made his own choice from an outstandingly fine and varied body of work. Dramatic monologues, elegies, poems of social and political observation, love lyrics - all are part of his repetoire. His concern for the extremes of human experience and an artistic integrity that insists on addressing the reader with maximum clarity and impact are consistent features of a...

Memoirs of a Sword Swallower is Daniel P. Mannix's autobiography as a sword-swallower with a traveling sideshow from the 30s and 40s. An example of Classic Americana, this book offers a portrayal of a vanished world of working-class performance artists who earned a living by their unique bodies and imaginations. Stars include the Fat Lady, the human beanpole, the Ostrich man who ate broken glass, and many more.

In this, the third book in the Borrowers series (after The Borrowers, and The Borrowers Afield), the Clocks (Pod, Homily and Arrietty) find that they must leave the safety of their new house and venture forth once again into the great big world. Setting their sights on Little Fordham, a miniature model town, the Clocks follow young Spiller out. But the world is a dangerous place for someone as small as a Borrower...

The innocent and naïve Jude Fawley is trapped into marriage by the seductive Arabella Donn. But their union is an unhappy one, and Arabella leaves him. Jude's welcome freedom allows him to pursue his obsession with his pretty cousin, Sue Bridehead, a brilliant, charismatic freethinker who would be his ideal soul mate if not for her aversion to physical love. When Jude and Sue decide to lead their lives ...

Ruth Picardie, happily married with one-year-old twins, was only 32 when diagnosed as having breast cancer. In a series of extraordinarily brave and outspoken articles in the Observer, she wrote openly about her experiences, of the disease, of the treatment, of confronting death, of losing her family and her life. When she died in 1997 she was mourned by thousands of people who had never met her. Included are...

David Bellamy is a natural story teller whose memoir will be packed full of funny anecdotes and observations. It is the story of how a city boy, brought up in the middle of London, went for a trip into the countryside one day, an event which was to transform his life by setting in motion the amazing love of nature which would make famous this larger-than-life character. In his infectious style he illumines on, amongst...

These fantastically imaginative origin stories are amongst the best known of Kipling's works, and offer entertaining explanations as to how various animals came into being.

Swinging to the rhythms of 1950s underground America, jazz, sex, generosity, chill dawns and drugs, with Sal Paradise and his hero Dean Moriarty, traveller and mystic, the living epitome of beat.

Doctor Dolittle sets sail for an adventure on the high seas, accompanied by nine-and-a-half-year-old Tommy Stubbins, who comes to live with the great man to learn the language of the animals. The pair head for Spider Monkey island, a mysterious floating isle somewhere in the South Atlantic.

Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'cemetery of lost books', a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out 'La Sombra del Viento' by Julian Carax. But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in...

Following the smash-hit sci-fi comedy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is the second part in Douglas Adams' multi media phenomenon and cult classic series, read by Martin Freeman. If you've done six impossible things this morning, why not round it off with breakfast at Milliways, the Restaurant at the end of the Universe? Which is exactly what the crew of the...

E.W. Swanton uses reports from the BBC archives to outline the history of the Mecca of Cricket. This was produced in 1991 and covers the period from Bradman to Graham Gooch's 333

This title includes interviews with Ben Travers, John Alderton, Michael Charlton, John Cleese, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Christopher Lee, Michael Parkinson and William Franklyn

For now, in an act of homage and celebration, William Horwood has brought to life once more the four most-loved characters in English literature: the loyal Mole, the resourceful Water Rat, the stern but wise Badger, and, of course, the exasperating, irresistible Toad. The result is an enchanting, unforgettable new novel, enlivened by delightful illustrations, in which William Horwood has recaptured all the joy, magic...

With the future of the River and the Wild Wood threatened, Mole, Badger, Ratty and even the irrepressible Mr Toad must rally together. William Horwood recreates again the magic of “The Wind in the Willows” in this compelling new tale.

A Radio 4 dramatization of Jane Austen's study of 19th-century middle-class manners and morals. When Fanny Price is sent to live with her wealthy relations, she seems shy and withdrawn beside her witty and vivacious cousins. But Fanny's true qualities will lead to deserved happiness.

Dragged from sleep on a Sunday morning to join his boss, Keeble, on his boat on the Thames, Gene Hawkins suspects he is being invited for business, not pleasure. He meets Dave Teller on the boat, a man who urgently requires Hawkins' investigative skills. Two of his horses have strangely gone missing and one has been found dead. What is more Teller himself is the victim of attempted murder.

Meteorologist Perry Stuart chiefly predicts period of English drizzle, with bursts of heavier rain and sunshine to follow. His life is calm and ordered, his face familiar to every British household. Stuart's profound weather knowledge and accuracy has given him high status among forecasters, but no physical baptism by storm. Not, that is, until he is offered a Caribbean hurricane-chasing ride in a small aeroplane as a...

Philip Nore is a steeplechase jockey with a passion for photography. When ruthless racecourse photographer George Millace, father of his friend and colleague Steve Millace, dies at the wheel of his car, Philip finds himself drawn into a web of intrigue. Embarking on a trail of blackmail, corruption and violence, Philip is forced to confront not only the evil of his enemies, but also the uncertainites of his own past.

Jack Kendall knows all about survival. He's written six books on the subject. Now he's hoping for success with his first novel. It's a long wait and he's getting short on funds and very hungry. On impulse he accepts a commission to write the biography of Tremayne Vickers, the celebrated National Hunt racehorse trainer. His agent disapproves of such hasty decisions: 'Impulse will kill you one of these days,' he warns.

After a fatal airline crash in the mountains of North Carolina, Dr. Temperance Brennan heads to the site to help identify the victims, but the discovery of body parts that do not belong to any registered passenger leads the investigation into a dangerous confrontation.

Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is back in his own rough, tough past. He must track down a murderer, teach his young self how to be a good cop and change the outcome of a bloody rebellion. There's a problem: if he wins, he's got no wife, no child, no future.

In her bestselling first volume of autobiography, Testament of Youth, Vera Brittain passionately recorded the agonising years of the First World War, lamenting the destruction of a generation which for her included those she most dearly loved - her lover, her brother and her closest friends. In Testament of Friendship Brittain tells the story of the woman who helped her survive those tragic years - the writer Winifred Holtby.