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No Return
by Zachary JerniganOn Jeroun, there is no question as to whether God exists--only what his intentions are.Under the looming judgment of Adrash and his ultimate weapon--a string of spinning spheres beside the moon known as The Needle--warring factions of white and black suits prove their opposition to the orbiting god with the great fighting tournament of Tchootoo, on the far side of Jeroun's only inhabitable continent.From the Thirteenth Order of Black Suits comes Vedas, a young master of martial arts, laden with guilt over the death of one of his students. Traveling with him are Churls, a warrior woman and mercenary haunted by the ghost of her daughter, and Manshep, a constructed man made of modular spheres possessed by the foul spirit of his creator. Together they must brave their own demons, as well as thieves, mages, beasts, dearth, and hardship on the perilous road to Tchootoo, and the bloody sectarian battle that is sure to follow.On the other side of the world, unbeknownst to the travelers, Ebn and Pol of the Royal Outbound Mages (astronauts using Alchemical magic to achieve space flight) have formed a plan to appease Adrash and bring peace to the planet. But Ebn and Pol each have their own clandestine agendas--which may call down the wrath of the very god they hope to woo.Who may know the mind of God? And who in their right mind would seek to defy him? Gritty, erotic, and fast-paced, author Zachary Jernigan takes you on a sensuous ride through a world at the knife-edge of salvation and destruction, in one of the year's most exciting fantasy epics.
Data-Driven Energy Management and Tariff Optimization in Power Systems: Shaping the Future of Electricity Distribution through Analytics
by Pierluigi Siano Josep M. Guerrero Hamidreza Arasteh Niki MoslemiPresents a comprehensive guide to transforming power systems through data Data-Driven Energy Management and Tariff Optimization in Power Systems offers an authoritative examination of how data science is reshaping the energy landscape. As the electricity sector grapples with increasing complexity, this timely volume responds to a growing demand for adaptive strategies that enable accurate forecasting, intelligent tariff design, and optimized resource allocation, underpinned by advanced analytics and machine learning. Drawing on global expertise and real-world case studies, the book bridges the theoretical and practical dimensions of energy systems management, providing deep insight into how data collected from smart meters, SCADA systems, and IoT devices can be mined for predictive modeling, demand response, and peak load management. The book’s accessible structure and didactic approach make it suitable for a wide readership, while its breadth of topics ensures relevance across the spectrum of energy challenges. Integrating rigorous analysis with application-oriented strategies, this book: Presents advanced techniques in machine learning, predictive modeling, and pattern recognition tailored to energy management and tariff designProvides accessible explanations of complex algorithms through a didactic and visual teaching style, including informative tables and illustrationsHighlights tools for grid stability, demand forecasting, and peak load management using high-resolution energy dataAddresses the integration of renewable energy sources into existing infrastructures through data-driven optimization Designed for a broad audience, Data-Driven Energy Management and Tariff Optimization in Power Systems is ideal for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in energy management, power systems analytics, and smart grids as part of electrical engineering or energy policy programs. It is also an essential reference for power system engineers, energy analysts, researchers, and policymakers involved in grid planning and optimization.
Debating the Presidency: Conflicting Perspectives on the American Executive
by Michael Nelson Richard J. EllisThe study of the presidency—the power of the office, the evolution of the executive as an institution, the men who have served—has generated a great body of research and scholarship. What better way to get students to grapple with the ideas of the literature than through conflicting perspectives on some of the most pivotal issues facing the modern presidency? Richard Ellis and Michael Nelson have once again assembled a cadre of top scholars to offer a series of pro/con essays that will inspire spirited debate beyond the pages of the book. Each essay—written in the form of a debate resolution— offers a compelling yet concise view on the American executive.
The National Curriculum and the Teachers′ Standards (Ready to Teach)
by Learning MattersThe national curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum. The Teachers′ Standards underpin professional practice and all teachers need to work towards and within this framework. This updated, comprehensive handbook presents ALL key statutory, essential reading for trainee and beginning teachers in one place. It includes The National Curriculum Programmes of Study for ALL curriculum subjects for Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 The complete Teachers′ Standards Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education guidance in full Foreword from Dylan Wiliam focusing on the need for a broad and balanced curriculum in schools National curriculum by topic planner for English and Maths at Key Stages 1 and 2 Full index for easy reference This 4th edition is updated with the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF).
Debating the Presidency: Conflicting Perspectives on the American Executive
by Michael Nelson Richard J. EllisThe study of the presidency—the power of the office, the evolution of the executive as an institution, the men who have served—has generated a great body of research and scholarship. What better way to get students to grapple with the ideas of the literature than through conflicting perspectives on some of the most pivotal issues facing the modern presidency? Richard Ellis and Michael Nelson have once again assembled a cadre of top scholars to offer a series of pro/con essays that will inspire spirited debate beyond the pages of the book. Each essay—written in the form of a debate resolution— offers a compelling yet concise view on the American executive.
The National Curriculum and the Teachers′ Standards (Ready to Teach)
by Learning MattersThe national curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum. The Teachers′ Standards underpin professional practice and all teachers need to work towards and within this framework. This updated, comprehensive handbook presents ALL key statutory, essential reading for trainee and beginning teachers in one place. It includes The National Curriculum Programmes of Study for ALL curriculum subjects for Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 The complete Teachers′ Standards Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education guidance in full Foreword from Dylan Wiliam focusing on the need for a broad and balanced curriculum in schools National curriculum by topic planner for English and Maths at Key Stages 1 and 2 Full index for easy reference This 4th edition is updated with the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF).
The Future of Tutoring: Lessons from 10,000 School District Tutoring Initiatives
by Liz CohenThe inspiring story of the high-impact tutoring movement and its revitalization of the post-pandemic classroom Public education isn&’t a sector known for quick change, but the COVID-19 pandemic turned schools into labs of innovation nationwide. By the pandemic&’s end, a remarkable number of K–12 classrooms had come to embrace tutoring, particularly &“high-impact tutoring&” and its adaptable design. In The Future of Tutoring, Liz Cohen looks back at a unique revolution and finds that, with effective buy-in and thoughtful implementation, tutoring programs can improve academic performance for all students. Within a year into the pandemic, 10,000 US school districts were offering some sort of tutoring initiative after years of almost none. The lessons learned are vast. Traveling to Ohio, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, DC, Cohen covers the ups and downs of this massive shift, with a special focus on high-impact tutoring, in which a small group of students work consistently with an adult at least three days a week. Whether the instruction was in-person or virtual, performed by district staff or college students, or focused on math or reading, this renewed investment in the student-tutor relationship helped educators design curricula around students&’ specific needs and motivators, with measurable results. Cohen tells an inspiring story of administrators, practitioners, and state leaders all staking their reputations on a bold intervention. As leaders struggle with how to combat students&’ learning loss, The Future of Tutoring shows where resources can make a real difference.
Electric Vehicle Design: Design, Simulation, and Applications
by Himanshu Sharma Suman Lata Tripathi Krishan AroraELECTRIC VEHICLE DESIGN This book will serve as a definitive guide to conceptual and practical knowledge about the design of hybrid electrical vehicles (HEV), battery electrical vehicles (BEV), fuel cell electrical vehicles (FCEV), plug-in hybrid electrical vehicles (PHEV), and efficient EV charging techniques with advanced tools and methodologies for students, engineers, and academics alike. This book deals with novel concepts related to fundamentals, design, and applications of conventional automobiles with internal combustion engines (ICEs), electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). It broadly covers vehicle performance, configuration, control strategy, design methodology, modeling, and simulation for different conventional and hybrid vehicles based on mathematical equations. Fundamental and practical examples of conventional electrical machines, advanced electrical machines, battery energy sources, on-board charging and off-board charging techniques, and optimization methods are presented here. This book can be useful for students, researchers, and practitioners interested in different problems and challenges associated with electric vehicles. Furthermore, in explaining the design methodology of each drive train, design examples are presented with simulation results.
Children Of The Tide: A gripping and unforgettable historical fiction book from the Sunday Times bestselling author
by Val WoodDiscover the gripping and uplifting historical saga from the Sunday Times bestselling author, perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Katie Flynn.It is the late 1850s and a tired woman holding a baby walks from Hull to one of the big houses in Anlaby – the home of the wealthy Rayners. She knocks at the door, and shoves the baby at young James Rayner. The father was ‘young Mr Rayner’, and the mother is dead. Then she vanishes.The respectable shipping family of Hull are shattered. No one wants to take responsibility for the baby and it is about to be put into an orphanage when Sammi, James’s cousin, decides to take the baby back to her parents’ home on the Holderness coast. James is banished to London, and disaster begins to beset the three branches of the Rayners.The third novel in The Hungry Tide sequence, this epic, many-faceted story of three related families tells the triumphs and tragedies of their lives, as the whaling industry of Hull begins to decline, and the farmlands and homes continue to slip into the sea.Readers LOVE Val Wood:'Hull's answer to Catherine Cookson' BBC Radio 4's Front Row‘One of those books that keeps you wanting more . . . impossible to put down’ 5 stars‘Val Wood never fails to impress . . . I could not put this book down’ 5 stars‘WOW. From the first page I was hooked . . . you will love this story’ 5 stars‘I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to melt away in the pages and be lost for a while. Riveting’ 5 stars‘Exciting story that kept me spellbound . . .Val has excelled herself yet again’ 5 stars‘The best book I have ever read, I really felt like I was part of the story and did not want it to end’ 5 stars
A Pawtobiography: My adventures on Gone Fishing
by Ted the DogTop 5 Sunday Times bestseller now in paperbark!Ted's sniff and tellIt’s hard to believe Ted was once a skinny, unwanted pup who was dumped outside an animal shelter, before he found fame and fortune alongside Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse on the hit BBC series Gone Fishing.In this exclusive exposé, Ted reveals what it’s like working alongside two national treasures and what really happens when the cameras stop rolling.With searing honesty, he gives his unique viewpoint on living in a dog's world and he speaks about how you – yes you – can make it a better place for everyone.This is his story, in his own words.Nearly all of it is true.
The Tower of the Tyrant: The spellbinding and page-turning epic fantasy of murder, mystery and magic
by J.T. Greathouse'STUNNING' RICHARD SWAN'GREATHOUSE IS A MASTER' RYAN ROSE'ABSOLUTELY RIVETING' THE FANTASY HIVE'MARTIN BY WAY OF SAPKOWSKI' FANFIADDICTA LAND DIVIDED. A HISTORY INKED IN BLOOD. ONE SORCERESS'S QUEST FOR ANSWERS.The world beyond the City of the Wise is fraught with danger. But Fola, a talented sorceress who has left the safety of its walls, is unconcerned. She's on the hunt for magical remnants left behind by the First Folk - ancient beings who are but the whisper of a memory. Only by finding them might she uncover the secret to their power and a way to pull the riven lands out of the darkness.Danger lies ahead for Fola, however she feels about it. And when events conspire to drag her into a cursed kingdom to investigate the death of its king, she's soon faced by threats from both the living and the dead. Fola will need to rely on her wits, her magic and her unlikely friends if she's going to survive. But there is always hope, no matter how dark things get. And three things remain true, above all else. Fellowship is stronger than isolation.The past will come back to haunt you.Nothing stays secret forever.A fantasy epic of breathtaking scope, this is a rich standalone adventure for fans of Geralt and Ciri in The Witcher, for those who loved the mystery of The Tainted Cup and The Raven Scholar, or for anyone looking to recapture the magic of The Wheel of Time.
One by One: A completely unputdownable crime thriller (DS Alice Washington Thriller #2)
by Sam Frances'This book should come with a warning: once you start you won't be able to stop reading! I am still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor' Reader Review ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Ten years since she was pushed. Now someone is back for the rest...With tensions between the police and public at an all-time high, a music festival during a heatwave is the last thing DS Alice Washington needs. when she learns that the headline act is infamous rock band The Dolls, appearing for the first time since the lead singer Ris was pushed to her death.It was an open-and-shut case: Ris's best friend was witnessed committing the crime by hundreds of people. But when The Dolls start receiving death threats, Alice is forced to re-examine the events leading up to Ris's murder. Was it really just teenage jealousy, or is there something more sinister beneath the surface?As the threats escalate, Alice must race to uncover the truth before someone else gets hurt. Because while Ris's killer has been behind bars for ten years, it's clear someone is still out for blood.Readers are LOVING One by One:'Gloriously twisty storytelling . . . I'm already craving more!' NAOMI WILLIAMS 'I absolutely LOVED this book . . . original, fast-paced, brilliantly plotted and full of dark humour, it's absolutely one of my favourite reads of this year' DANIEL AUBREY 'Captivating and infectious' KATHRYN SHARMAN 'Manages to be both edge of your seat and laugh out loud at the same time' CHRIS BRIDGES 'Crackling with tension . . . I cannot WAIT to get my hands on anything else she writes!' G.D. WRIGHT 'I raced through this!' KINGSLEY PEARSON
Joe Cole, Luxury Player: The long-awaited memoir from the England, Chelsea and West Ham legend
by Joe ColeTHIS YEAR'S MUST-HAVE AUTOBIOGRAPHY FROM THE ENGLAND, CHELSEA AND WEST HAM LEGEND'I want to tell you about how football - English football - felt different for me. For much of my life it felt like I was in the wrong place, trying to play a different tune.'One of the best players of his era, Joe Cole grew up playing football in North London's estates, and his ability, grit and hard work took him to the very top. But Joe was often mistrusted by managers and out of step with the style of English football in the 2000s. The game was suspicious of creative footballers it considered luxury players - the kind it could regard as an indulgence.With honesty and an eye for the absurdities of football, Joe takes us inside the dressing room to reveal it all. From his days at the FA's School of Excellence at Lilleshall and rising through the ranks as a teenage prodigy at West Ham, to signing for Roman Abramovich's Chelsea and winning it all under José Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, before being discarded by his boyhood club after a remarkable 7-year spell.He offers an insider account of a fascinating era in modern football, playing alongside the likes of Lampard and Drogba, Beckham and Rooney, Gerrard and Di Canio. He talks about his experiences playing for England's so-called Golden Generation, his extraordinary goal against Sweden at the 2006 World Cup, and the reality of being managed by Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.It was a remarkable career. Then came the tumultuous end, as Joe battled severe injuries and his family suffered loss. He takes us on the journey of a great player coming to terms with his waning powers as his body began to fail him and the sport moved on. Football had given him everything. But then, it was over.Candid, raw and unforgettable, this is Joe Cole's story, a must-read for any football fan.
Global Justice for Children: A Capability Approach (Routledge Focus on Philosophy)
by Gottfried SchweigerWhile global justice is a hot topic in political philosophy, the place of children and children as a particular group of agents has been largely ignored. This book explores global justice for children from the perspective of the capability approach. The capability approach provides a fruitful normative foundation for exploring the issue of global justice for children. To spell this out, it is necessary to address the questions of the currency of justice, its principles, and the allocation of responsibility, and to show that all children have a moral claim to the capabilities and functionings they require for a sufficiently good life. The first chapters are devoted to the status of children in political philosophy and to methodological considerations. The next chapters then argue that developing capabilities and functionings constitute the appropriate currency of global justice. The discussion then turns to the question of the principle of global justice, advocating a sufficiency principle that recognizes different thresholds in order to secure a sufficiently good life for all children. Finally, the concluding chapters address the question of responsibility for justice. Here, the book develops a theory of differentiated responsibility, which distributes responsibilities among various agents.Global Justice for Children will be of interest to researchers and students working in social and political philosophy, ethics, philosophy of childhood and development studies.
Butch Heterosexuality in Black Caribbean Womanhood: Exploring Gender Performance and Sexuality (Leading Conversations on Black Sexualities and Identities)
by Marsha Myrie ObiThis critical text proposes new ways of conceptualizing Black womanhood by challenging plantation patriarchal culture and its binary constructions, and methods of Black heterosexual coupling. Black Women’s performances of womanhood are understood from juxtapositions with white idealism, resulting in Black womanhood explained negatively or for what it is not, rather than positively and expansively for what it is and could be.This book contextualizes Black womanhood as it was shaped by historical experiences of plantation, trauma, survival and most importantly, triumph. Myrie Obi expands upon her theory of butch heterosexuality, which identifies elements of gender presentation commonly marked as masculine. Using Jack Halberstam’s essential work of queer theory, “Female Masculinity” as a point of departure, Myrie Obi uses the Commonwealth Caribbean as a site of new inquiry. Butch heterosexuality challenges the patriarchal gender binary and encourages an understanding of sexuality and gender performance as distinct, arguing against a conflation of female masculinity and lesbianism. The result is an alternative way to start conversations about decolonial approaches to understanding (Caribbean) Black women, Black sexuality and Black gender performances.This book is critical reading for scholar activists and students in the areas of Black or Caribbean studies, Black sexualities and gender studies, sociology, social work, politics, gender justice and social justice courses.
Seriously Silly: The Life of Terry Jones (the authorised biography)
by Robert Ross'This book is timely. I hope it will send people back to his work, whether it be films he's directed, roles he's played . . . and everything else that made him everybody's favourite polymath'Michael PalinSeriously Silly is an intimate portrait of Terry Jones - Python, actor, director, historian, reluctant national treasure and purveyor of sincere silliness - written by the man he chose to tell the story of his life.From his Welsh upbringing in Colwyn Bay, to meeting his lifelong friend Michael Palin at Oxford through revue sketches, anarchic children's shows and the creative genius of Monty Python, this is the story of a comedy legend. Throughout this journey, Terry's extraordinary determination and resilience shine through, not least in his final years as he battled with dementia.Written by his close friend Robert Ross, with a foreword from Michael Palin (and the blessing of and cooperation of his family and the people who knew him best) Seriously Silly is not only the definitive celebration of a true pioneer of comedy, but a loving portrayal of the man behind the laughter.
The Traveling Tree: The international bestseller from Japan
by Michio HoshinoFirst published in 1994, The Traveling Tree by world renowned photographer Michio Hoshino is a literary classic. In this enduringly popular collection, naturalist, mystic and adventurer Michio Hoshino shares his reflections on the natural world, and our place within it.Beautifully written, this book is a collection of Michio's writing published at the peak of his artistic prowess as a writer and photographer, only one year before his career was tragically cut short at the age of 43 by a fatal bear attack in the Kamchatka Peninsula.First published in Japanese, The Traveling Tree is a literary triumph, available in English for the first time.The Traveling Tree has gained increasing popularity in the more than 20 years since Hoshino's untimely death. His work has been featured in numerous Japanese television specials and documentaries and an exhibition of his photography has travelled to cities and communities across Japan.
Dead Man’s Tale: the thrilling new crime novel in the acclaimed Bob Skinner series
by Quintin Jardine'The legendary Quintin Jardine . . . such a fine writer' DENZIL MEYRICKThe gripping new mystery in the bestselling Bob Skinner series from the acclaimed Quintin Jardine.His native Scotland stands on the cusp of a new era of international expansion under its charismatic new leader, but former top cop Sir Robert Skinner is settled happily in Spain with his family, fully engaged in a new and unexpected career. He is focused on a business issue, only to be drawn suddenly homewards as a family member finds himself a witness to a homicidal attack, and under fire himself.Skinner drops everything to rush to his stricken son's aid. Pulled back into his old world he finds himself facing the aftermath of a shocking crime only to see it evolve into a mystery as great as any he has ever faced. When kidnap follows murder, and the investigation expands in range and complexity, can Bob and his onetime police protégé ACC Sauce Haddock run the perpetrators to ground? Praise for Quintin Jardine's Bob Skinner series:'Scottish crime-writing at its finest, with a healthy dose of plot twists and turns, bodies and plenty of brutality' SUN'Well constructed, fast-paced, Jardine's narrative has many an ingenious twist and turn' OBSERVER
Eternal Ruin: Book 2 (Immortal Dark Trilogy #2)
by Tigest GirmaThe second book in the dangerously romantic, dark academia blockbuster Immortal Dark series, sees Kidan and Susenyos face their biggest fears.PRAISE FOR IMMORTAL DARK:'Entirely irresistible ... You won't be able to look away' Chloe Gong, No.1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights'A completely original, deliciously dark take on vampires' Sarah Underwood, New York Times bestselling author of Lies We Sing to the Sea'A deliciously dark story teeming with morally grey characters you can't help but root for' Gabi Burton, author of Sunday Times bestselling Sing Me to Sleep
Staying Relevant: The Book
by Pete Wicks Sam ThompsonWelcome to Staying Relevant, a book written by two best friends . . . contains swearing, adult themes and outrageous stories from life in the spotlight.If you think you know us already, you're wrong. You're gonna find out a hell of a lot about us. Probably more than you ever needed or wanted to know, to be honest. This book isn't about the glossy, filtered version of us that people normally see. It's about the real Sam and Pete, the ones behind the nonsense. Now grab a bevvy, get comfy and enjoy the journey with us - through the best bits, the worst bits, and all the absolute bottom-of-the-barrel moments in between, on our quest to stay relevant. In their first book together, Sam and Pete lay out what it truly takes to stay in the spotlight. A celebration of their unlikely friendship, the book features brand new, insane stories from their lives, including: behind the scenes, never-before-told tales from the jungle and the ballroom, hosting the NTAs red carpet, their journey creating the podcast, and plenty more. Expect swearing, heaps of positivity from Sam and, of course, zero sarcasm from Pete.
Advance Britannia: How the Second World War Was Won, 1942-1945
by Alan AllportBy 1942, Churchill faced a vastly different war than the one he'd inherited from Neville Chamberlain. Britain was no longer alone; the Soviets were now an unlikely ally in the East, and Pearl Harbor had finally pushed America into action. Yet the scale of violence remained unchanged. On average, seven British men, women and children were killed every hour of the Second World War. The country would never be the same again. In Advance Britannia, historian Alan Allport reveals the war as it was lived - from the battlefields to the ration books, in the War Ministry and in the air raid shelters. Mixing social history with dramatic storytelling, this is a definitive account of the war that reshaped the world.
This Ain't Rock 'n' Roll: Pop Music, the Swastika and the Third Reich
by Daniel RachelWITH AN INTRODUCTION BY BILLY BRAGGOver the last seven decades, some of rock 'n' roll's most celebrated figureheads have flirted with the imagery and theatre of the Third Reich. From Keith Moon and Vivian Stanshall kitting themselves out in Nazi uniforms to Siouxsie Sioux and Sid Vicious brandishing swastikas in the pomp of punk, generations of performers have associated themselves in troubling ways with the aesthetics, mass hysteria and even ideology of Nazism. Whether shock factor, stupidity, or crass attempt at subversion, rock 'n' roll has indulged these associations in a way not accepted by any other artform. But how accountable should fans, the media, and the music industry be for what has often seemed a sleazy fascination with the eroticised perversions of a fascist regime?In This Ain't Rock 'n' Roll, award-winning music historian Daniel Rachel navigates these turbulent waters with extraordinary delicacy and care, asking us to look anew at the artists that have defined us, inspired us and given us joy - and consider why so many have been drawn to the imagery of a movement responsible for the twentieth century's worst atrocities. Alongside a sensitive history of the Holocaust and an examination of the place it holds in our cultural consciousness, Rachel asks essential questions of actions often overlooked or underplayed, whilst neither casting sweeping judgement nor offering easy answers. In doing so, he asks us to reassess the history of rock 'n' roll and sheds new light on the grim echoes of the Third Reich in popular culture and the legacy of twentieth (and twenty-first) century history as it defines us today.
The Good Russian: In Search of a Nation's Soul
by Jana Bakunina"An important and necessary book... a work of honesty and humanity," Mishal Husain"This is a unique and necessary book. The Good Russian takes us inside wartime Russia, to a city that Jana Bakunina knows intimately. She brings us face to face with ordinary Russians, and also tells her own compelling personal story. Best of all, she writes very well." Simon Kuper, FT journalist and author of the bestselling Chums"A fine and brave book." Luke Harding, author of Invasion: Russia's Bloody War and Ukraine's Fight for SurvivalWhen Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the writer Jana Bakunina, who has lived in the UK for 20 years, felt furious, ashamed, but most of all helpless. A year later she travelled to her home city of Yekaterinburg to see how ordinary Russians viewed the conflict - and whether the soul of her nation had truly been crushed.Jana finds a booming city seemingly untouched by war. Reconnecting with old friends, she discovers people either happy to go along with a regime that has brought them stability, or else staying out of politics. Most painful of all, her once liberal father has channelled his personal disappointments into becoming a firm fan of Putin.In the grand humane tradition of Russian dissident writers, Jana Bakunina grapples with a universal problem: what happens when a country you love becomes infected by nationalism? What hope is there when voices of conscience are silenced by dictatorship? And can Russians in exile still imagine a liberated future?
Unlucky for Some (Victor #13)
by Tom Wood'Packed with action' FINANCIAL TIMES'An incendiary thrill ride' HEAT___________In his latest gripping adventure, the world's deadliest assassin is all out of luck.Malmö, Sweden. What should have been a simple job - to kill the heir of an organised crime family - spirals out of control when assassin-for-hire Victor is shot and wounded. Forced to hide out in a hostile city while he recuperates, he doesn't realise that multiple enemies are circling to take advantage of his circumstances. Faced with a vengeful criminal organisation, corrupt officials, ruthless bounty hunters, elite mercenaries, and the most dangerous assassin he's ever faced, Victor's luck has finally run out.
A Death at Christmas (Euphemia Martins Mystery 18)
by Caroline DunfordEuphemia Martins is back for another nail-biting adventure in the eighteenth instalment in Caroline Dunford's gripping mystery seriesEuphemia has recently returned from Edinburgh to her home in the Fens when spymaster Fitzroy announces his plan to host an extravagant Christmas party at White Orchards.As the guests start to arrive and the snow settles, Euphemia hopes that the hand-picked gathering of spies will find a resolution to shorten the war. But that is before the interruption of an uninvited guest - quickly followed by another - and the discovery of a dead body . . .Tension mounts when Rory McLeod, a policeman from Special Branch (not to mention from Euphemia's past), arrives with his wife to interrogate the household. And to make matters worse, Fitzroy seems to have disappeared into the frozen marshes, leaving Euphemia to avert disaster before they can expose a killer in their midst . . .PRAISE FOR CAROLINE DUNFORD'S EUPHEMIA MARTINS MYSTERIES:'A sparking and witty crime debut with a female protagonist to challenge Miss Marple' Lin Anderson'Impeccable historical detail with a light touch' Lesley Cookman'Euphemia martins is feisty, funny and completely adorable' Colette McCormickREADERS LOVE CAROLINE DUNFORD!'The series just gets better and better. Can't wait for the next one' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'These are wonderful mysteries, with great characters and good plots. I highly recommend them' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Once again Caroline Dunford has written an entertaining and gripping tale which leaves the reader eager for more' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐