Be transported to a place like no other: a tiny, man-made island in the bay of Nagasaki, for two hundred years the sole gateway between Japan & the West. Here, in the dying days of the 18th-century, a young Dutch clerk arrives to make his fortune. Instead he loses his heart. Step onto the streets of Dejima & mingle with scheming traders, spies, interpreters, servants & concubines as two cultures converge. In a tale of integrity & corruption, passion & power, the key is control
- of riches & minds, & over death itself.
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The theme of the would-be yachtsman finding a builder to construct a small boat which met his requirements, but at a very reasonable cost, is a traditional one in sailing literature & the basis of this story, first published in the USA nearly 30 years ago. ...

Welcome to Manhattan, 2118. A thous&-storey tower stretching into the sky. A glittering vision of the future, where anything is possible
- if you want it enough. A hundred years in the future, New York`s elite of the super-tower lie, backstab & betray each other to find their place at the top of the world. Everyone wants something...and everyone has something to lose. As the privileged inhabitants of the upper floors recklessly navigate the successes & pitfalls of the luxury life, forbidden desires are indulged & carefree lives teeter on the brink of catastrophe. Whilst lower-floor workers are tempted by a world
- & unexpected romance
- dangling just out of reach. & on the thousandth floor is Avery Fuller, the girl genetically designed to be perfect. The girl who seems to have it all
- yet is tormented by the one thing she can never have. So when a young woman falls from the top of the supertower, her death is the culmination of a scandal that has ensnared the top-floor elite & bottom-floor. But who plummeted from the roof? & what dark secrets led to her fall? Friends will be betrayed & enemies forged as promises are broken. When you`re this high up, there`s nowhere to go but down...



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When the construction of a bridge built to link the Balkans to Europe is repeatedly & mysteriously sabotaged, an old ballad starts making the rounds at local taverns. The bards sing of a legend
- a woman immured in a castle wall to prevent it from falling. Some say the bridge is being damaged by local ferrymen, others blame the vengeful water spirits. But this is a town where terror & superstition reign & a solution must be reached. So it is decreed: a willing person must be plastered into the bridge.
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Miranda Carter`s ” Three Emperors” is a riveting account of how three men who should have known better helped bring down an entire world is a gripping story of abdication, betrayal & murder. As cousins, George V, Kaiser Wilhelm II & the last Tsar Nicholas II should have been friends
- but they happened also to rule Europe`s three most powerful states. This potent combination together with their own destructive personalities
- petty, insecure, bullying, absurdly obsessive (stamp collecting, uniforms)
- led not only to their own dramatic fallouts & falls from grace, but also to the outbreak of the First World War. Three cousins. Three Emperors. & the road to ruin.


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In this classic fairy tale, the three little pigs leave home & build their own houses
- one of straw, one of sticks & one of
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Early Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books. A blue Early Reader is perfect for sharing & reading together. A red Early Reader is the next step on your reading journey. Trixy, Tammy & Trig are three little girl pirates who live aboard The Lucky Lobster with their pets Mullet the dog, Kipper the cat & a seagull called Gulliver. When the nasty pirate, Vanilla Cringe, kidnaps mermaid princess, Mo, & her friends, it`s up to the little pirates to save the day. But can they outwit Vanilla? A delightful splash of ocean fun & adventure. Perfect for reading aloud or for children to enjoy alone, with lots of bright funny pictures, maps to follow, clues to find & puzzles to solve. ...

Early Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books. A blue Early Reader is perfect for sharing & reading together. A red Early Reader is the next step on your reading journey. Meet the three little princesses! Phoebe, Pruella & Pip are looking forward to their father the King`s birthday celebration
- but when the key to the all-important time machine is stolen, the palace is thrown into chaos! The princesses must journey deep into the Enchanted Forest to find the culprit & restore order before the kingdom disappears for ever... Brimming with humour, intrigue & suspense, & with delightful illustrations from Emily Bolam, this is a book children will return to time & time again.
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Step aside, Big Bad Wolf; there`s a new troublemaker in town! With her sharp, scratchy claws & her terrible twitching tail, the Big Bad Cat is the meanest moggy around! Will the three little pugs build homes strong enough to fend off this mischievous cat? A hilarious & fresh twist on a favourite fairy tale, stylishly designed with a unique blend of modern illustrations & photography. This fantastic retelling of The Three Little Pigs is perfect for young readers & pug-lovers alike! ...

Early Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books. A blue Early Reader is perfect for sharing & reading together. A red Early Reader is the next step on your reading journey. Zara, Ziggy & Zoe are three little witches who live together in Magic Wood. Cups & saucers wash themselves up, letters sprout wings, a calendar sings a song, & Wizard Wink`s school moves from place to place. The three little witches are planning a Halloween party, but naughty Melissa is out to make trouble! Punctuated by catchy rhymes & speech bubbles, the stories demand to be read aloud, & with their bright, funny pictures & lively design they are hugely appealing. ...