Books published by Hodder & Stoughton

Sarah Agnes Prine begins her diary in 1881 when her father decides to move the whole family - and their horse ranch - from Arizona Territory to Texas, where life will be easier. Sarah, at seventeen, is a tomboy though she longs to be educated, gracious and beautiful like other women. But when the family sets out on the wagon trail and disasters strike in rapid succession, Sarah turns out to be the only thing that keeps them from certain death.Sarah stays brave, strong and determined through everything that befalls her. But she longs to be loved, like any other woman, and she is to meet her destiny in Captain Jack Elliot.

Caroline Wallace is one of New Orleans Police Department's top hostage negotiators, and she's never failed to get every hostage out alive. But this time, it's different: the hostages include her father - the superintendent of police - and the mayor. And this time, she's trying to negotiate with Reed Ware, a former co-worker who left the force in disgrace, and who is considered to be volatile and extremely dangerous. As police snipers arrive on the scene, Caroline has only a few moments left to persuade the hot-headed, reckless (and extremely handsome) Reed to turn himself in before anyone gets hurt. But when the SWAT team runs out of patience and launches an attack, Reed manages to escape - taking Caroline hostage in the chaos. He then tells her he's uncovered corruption at the highest levels of the police department and city government, and those involved will stop at nothing to keep him from exposing what he knows . . . including murder. Now Caroline must question everything she thought she knew about her job and her city and join Reed on the run . . . putting both her life - and her heart - in jeopardy.

A cosy Dandy Gilver mystery set in 1930s Scotland. For fans of PG Wodehouse, Dorothy L Sayers and Agatha Christie.Glasgow,1932, is a city in the grip of dance-fever. Public ballrooms and backstreet dancehalls are thronged every night and competition for professional titles is fierce. Even after the sudden death of one of last year's hopefuls there are plenty willing to take his place, and few who stop to wonder why he died.In the melting pot of the Locarno Ballroom in Sauchiehall Street, a debutante rubs shoulders with denizens of Glasgow's meanest streets, her respectable fianc oblivious, her parents dismayed.When she starts receiving threats from a rival, they grow frantic enough to call on Dandy Gilver to save their precious daughter from harm.But as Dandy and her sidekick, Alec Osborne, begin to unravel the secrets of the dancehall, they soon discover that the rot goes much deeper than rivalry and there's more at stake than a silver cup. Despite the pretty frocks and dancing shoes, this apparently glittering world is a darker place than they've ever been before . . .Catriona McPherson's latest novel in the series, Dandy Gilver and a Spot of Toil and Trouble is now available for pre-order.

Clare Riordan and her son Mikey are abducted from Clapham Common early one morning. Hours later, the boy is found wandering disorientated. Soon after, a pack of Clare's blood is left on a doorstep in the heart of the City of London. Alice Quentin is brought in to help the traumatised child uncover his memories - which might lead them to his mother's captors. But she swiftly realises Clare is not the first victim... nor will she be the last. The killers are driven by a desire for revenge... and in the end, it will all come down to blood.

Jude Shelley, the daughter of a prominent cabinet minister, was assaulted and left for dead in the river Thames. Her attacker was never caught. A year later, forensic psychologist Alice Quentin is asked to re-examine the case.Then another body is found: an elderly priest, washed up at Westminster Pier. An ancient glass bead is tied to his wrist. Alice is certain that the Shelleys are hiding something - and that there will be more victims unless she can persuade them to share what they know. The Thames has always been a site of violent sacrifice. And Alice is about to learn that some people still believe in its power...

A cosy Dandy Gilver mystery set in 1930s Scotland. For fans of PG Wodehouse, Dorothy L Sayers and Agatha Christie.On the rain-drenched, wave-lashed, wind-battered Banffshire coast, tiny fishing villages perch on ledges which would make a seagull think twice and crumbly mansions cling to crumblier cliff tops while, out in the bay, the herring drifters brave the storms to catch their silver darlings. It's nowhere for a child of gentle Northamptonshire to spend Christmas.But when odd things start to turn up in barrels of fish - with a strong whiff of murder most foul - that's exactly where Dandy Gilver finds herself. Enlisted to investigate, she and her trusty cohort Alec Osborne are soon swept up in the fisherfolk's wedding season as well as the mystery. Between age-old traditions and brand-new horrors, Dandy must think the unthinkable to solve her grisliest case yet.Catriona McPherson's latest novel in the series, Dandy Gilver and a Spot of Toil and Trouble is now available for pre-order.

'In Stockwin's hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world' - GuardianCaptain Sir Thomas Kydd's part in Britain's doomed occupation of Buenos Aires has put him on the wrong side of some powerful men at the Admiralty. He is given a poisoned commission that some hope will destroy his career: a recently mutinied ship.But enemies aboard and on the high seas are just the start of the problem. Soon he will have to take his untested and untrustworthy crew into the Baltic where they will get entangled with Napoleon's invasion of Prussia. With the stakes desperate, the task seemingly impossible and the French implacable, Kydd could return home once more a hero - or find himself facing a court martial.**************What readers are saying about TYGER'A delightful seafaring story' - 5 stars'TYGER is ablaze with brilliant, inventive and authentic storytelling . . . Stockwin's best' - 5 stars'My favourite of the series' - 5 stars'Julian Stockwin - long may you continue writing!' - 5 stars'Another top-notch story' - 5 stars

'Paints a vivid picture of life aboard the mighty ship-of-the-line' - Daily ExpressAn Admiralty summons to England cuts short Thomas Kydd's service in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. While the crew of L'Aurore can look forward to liberty and prize money, a shadow hangs over their captain: the impending court martial of his one-time commander, Commodore Popham, who led a doomed attack on South America.Following Nelson's death two years earlier, England is in desperate need of heroes and Kydd's Caribbean exploits are the talk of London. Feted by the king and a grateful country, Kydd is soon on detachment in a new and dangerous sphere of interest: the Dardanelles, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea and providing a route to India. The French have long coveted this route, knowing that it could be the key to toppling the British Empire in India. When they successfully whip up such strong anti-English sentiment that the British ambassador to Constantinople has to flee to L'Aurore, a deadly stand-off ensues.Meanwhile Kydd's closest friend, Nicholas Renzi, has assumed a new role that he can never make public. Sent under alias on a mission to Constantinople, Renzi must engineer a coup that will turn the tables on the French. But when he's taken prisoner, only Kydd's superb seamanship and sheer bravado can save the day.*****************What readers are saying about PASHA'The best Kydd yet' - 5 stars'This is Stockwin's best' - 5 stars'A seafaring tale at its very best' - 5 stars'A wonderful yarn!' - 5 stars'Another brilliant book in the Thomas Kydd series' - 5 stars

'What is the world, then, of the weekend wife?' asked Emily. 'Secrets, there will be secrets. Not necessarily serious ones, but the triviality of them almost makes them worse. Someone will start smoking. One of you will see an ex and for some unknown reason decide not to tell the other one and before you know it, it's become a thing.' Laura sighed. 'None of it really matters, I know, when I say it like that, but it all chips away.' 'Still, those sort of secrets, like you say, they're not anything serious, you know, like...' Emily paused, unable to say the word out loud. 'Like an affair?' said Laura. 'Oh god, this set-up is a recipe for adultery, don't you think?' A few months ago, Emily and her husband sold their house in the city and bought a place in the country. But Emily didn't know that it would sometimes feel like a move to another country altogether. Moreover, with Matt working in the city from Monday-Friday, and only coming home to her and the kids at the weekend, Emily is suddenly plunged into the world of a 'weekend wife'. With all the obstacles . . . and secrets . . . that brings with it.

The second book in Colleen Houck's Reawakened Series, where Lily must now not only travel across the globe, she must enter the Netherworld (hell), to save the love of her life, Amon. If Lily thought traveling across the globe with a reawakened sun-prince was an epic adventure, she's now in for the journey of a lifetime. Amon has left his sacred duty to the gods and transported himself to the Netherworld, what we know as hell, to live out the rest of his years in agony. He is tormented by the loss of his love, Lily, and wishes to relinquish his obligation to the gods until they can reunite again. Lily has sought refuge on her grandmother's farm until she must attend the college of her parents' choice, and it is there that she is visited by Anubis, the Egyptian god of mummification, who fills her in on Amon's choice and that she is the only one who can save him. What Lily doesn't tell Anubis is that since she's left Amon she has known something went wrong. Lily can feel Amon's pain and she's been having dreams, dreams filled with Amon fighting awful beasts and crying out in agony. She will do whatever it takes to save him. For his life means more to her than anything in the world, which may not exist if she doesn't bring him back home.

Two star-crossed teens must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself . . .When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification. And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe.But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world. ********Readers are loving Reawakened!'Colleen Houck has written another fantastic YA adventure . . . This story is a wild ride of danger, adventure, mystery, mythology and romance''A brilliant Egyptian love story''Amazing''This is definitely a series I will be following''I loved every minute of this story!'

The heartbreaking novel from the author of CHOOSE ME, about the sacrifices parents must make and the anguish that can befall them. When Monica is offered a three-month placement in LA, she knows that for the sake of her career she must accept it - even though it means leaving behind nine-year-old Ruby, toddler Luca and her husband Daniel. She hires Ursula as a housekeeper and nanny during her absence, although the older woman is oddly reluctant to agree to a childcare position. What is the dark secret in Ursula's past, which has left her so closed-off and reserved? Will her growing attachment to Ruby bring it to the surface? And will Monica regret leaving the children in her care?

After forty years, Hammett has a worthy successor' The TimesDave Brandstetter stands alongside Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade and Lew Archer as one of the best fictional PIs in the business. Like them, he was tough, determined, and ruthless when the case demanded it. Unlike them, he was gay. Joseph Hansen's groundbreaking novels follow Brandstetter as he investigates cases in which motives are murky, passions run high, and nothing is ever as simple as it looks. Set in 1970s and 80s California, the series is a fascinating portrait of a time and a place, with mysteries to match Chandler and Macdonald.John Oats is dead; drowned in the treacherous waves of the Pacific. But was it accident, suicide, or murder? Between the mysteriously absent son, the bitter ex-wife and the current lover, there are plenty of people with reason to lie to Dave about what really happened that night - and why.

After forty years, Hammett has a worthy successor' The TimesDave Brandstetter stands alongside Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade and Lew Archer as one of the best fictional PIs in the business. Like them, he was tough, determined, and ruthless when the case demanded it. Unlike them, he was gay. Joseph Hansen's groundbreaking novels follow Brandstetter as he investigates cases in which motives are murky, passions run high, and nothing is ever as simple as it looks. Set in 1970s and 80s California, the series is a fascinating portrait of a time and a place, with mysteries to match Chandler and Macdonald.In Fadeout, Dave is sent to investigate the death of radio personality Fox Olsen. His car is found crashed in a dry river bed. But there is no body - and as Dave looks deeper into his life, it seems as though he had good reasons to disappear.

Schoolboy narrator Daniel Jordan, growing up in working-class Sydney during the Second World War, is confused by a world in which the religious dogma of his school conflicts with the communism of his family's terrifying neighbour, the 'Comrade'. Refreshingly unsentimental, this is the funny, ultimately tragic story of a boy struggling to understand a world in which concepts like innocence and guilt, good and evil are clearly open to interpretation.

When Dimp Bettany, a Sydney film producer, comes into possession of her ancestor John Bettany's journals, she believes she has finally found the subject of her next masterpiece. Even her more detached sister Prim, an aid worker in the Sudan, becomes intrigued as the story unfolds of how John Bettany carved out a living in the wilds of New South Wales in the 1840s, and of the internment in the notorious Female Factory of Sarah Bernard, the convict woman he was destined to meet. As John's and Sarah's paths converge, each sister finds her life cast in a new and galvanising light.

'first rate set operational pieces' - Sunday TimesA migrant boat battles through the rough Mediterranean. Its passengers are desperate, starving and scared.They are also being ruthlessly targeted by the SAS.Islamic State militants are smuggling themselves into Europe using these boats. Only by locating such men before they make it into the UK can the Regiment stop them committing their acts of terror on British soil.When one of these migrants reveals plans for a sickening Christmas Day atrocity in London, SAS operative Danny Black is tasked with infiltrating the most dangerous theatre of war in the world: Islamic State heartland. There, he and his team must lift a brutal IS commander - the only man who knows all the details of the London attack. The commander surrounds himself with vicious militants and a harem of sex slaves whom he treats in the most sadistic ways imaginable. And his jihadi wife is, if possible, even more abominable than him.As Danny pits himself against the violent thugs of the Islamic State, he learns that it is not just the UK that is under threat. His very presence on the mission has put at risk the safety of those closest to him. And he discovers that there are greater forces at work here, who do not care if the innocent live or die.Now there is nothing Danny will not do, no line he will not cross, to protect his family. Whether that makes him a good soldier or a bad soldier he neither knows nor cares. Because as he is fast learning, it is sometimes impossible to tell the difference between the two.And as every SAS soldier is trained to understand, the worst threats often come from the most unexpected places...

The third book in the hugely popular Danny Black series by the creator of the hit TV show Strikeback.On the Syria/Iraq border a British hostage is beheaded by IS terrorists. The executioner is a young British extremist. A masked figure watches him. This mysterious person is treated with a mixture of respect and terror. They call him the Caliph.In Nigeria the British High Commisioner and his young aide are kidnapped. A four-person SAS team, including Regiment hero Danny Black, is deployed to find him. The team find devastation in Nigeria, and when they discover prisoners infected with the plague they realise they have uncovered a combined Boko Haram/IS plot to unleash a bio-terror attack upon the world.The team must stop the terrorists and identify the Caliph before the deadly disease threatens those much closer to home.

During the Eritrean struggle for independence from Ethiopia, four Westerners travel under Eritrean rebel escort through a land of savage beauty and bitter drought towards the ancient capital of Asmara. Each is on a personal mission, all are irrevocably changed as they bear witness to the devastation of war as well as to the Eritreans' courage and humanity in the face of constant attack.

The story of Joan of Arc has always held a special fascination for writers - among them Voltaire, Mark Twain, George Bernard Shaw and Jean Anouilh. Here Thomas Keneally transforms the legend, presenting a Joan who is at once a tough radical, an instinctive soldier, a nagging prophet and a touchingly vulnerable girl - a haunting and compelling heroine framed by the tumultuous times in which she lived.

'This deeply researched and grippingly written biography brings Cromwell to life and exposes the Henrician court in all its brutal, glittering splendour.' Kate Williams, IndependentThomas Cromwell's life has made gripping reading for millions through Hilary Mantel's bestselling novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. But who was the real Cromwell? In this major new biography, leading historian Tracy Borman examines the life, loves and legacy of the man who changed the shape of England forever.Born a lowly tavern keeper's son, Cromwell rose swiftly through the ranks to become Henry VIII's right hand man, and one of the most powerful figures in Tudor history. The architect of England's break with the Roman Catholic Church and the dissolution of the monasteries, he oversaw seismic changes in England's history. Influential in securing Henry's controversial divorce from Catherine of Aragon, many believe he was also the ruthless force behind Anne Boleyn's downfall and subsequent execution. Although for years he has been reviled as a Machiavellian schemer who stopped at nothing in his quest for power, Thomas Cromwell was also a loving husband, father and guardian, a witty and generous host, and a loyal and devoted servant. With fresh research and new insights into Cromwell's family life, his household and his close relationships, Tracy Borman Tracy Borman tells the true story of Henry VIII's most faithful servant.

'Borman approaches her topic with huge enthusiasm and a keen eye for entertaining...this is a very human story of a remarkable family, full of vignettes that sit long in the mind.' Dan Jones, The Sunday Times'Tracy Borman's eye for detail is impressive; the book is packed with fascinating courtly minutiae... this is a wonderful book.' The Times'Borman is an authoritative and engaging writer, good at prising out those humanising details that make the past alive to us.' The Observer'Fascinating, detailed account of the everyday reality of the royals... This is a book of rich scholarship.' Daily Mail'Tracy Borman's passion for the Tudor period shines forth from the pages of this fascinatingly detailed book, which vividly illuminates what went on behind the scenes at the Tudor court.' Alison Weir'I do not live in a corner. A thousand eyes see all I do.' Elizabeth IThe Tudor monarchs were constantly surrounded by an army of attendants, courtiers and ministers. Even in their most private moments, they were accompanied by a servant specifically appointed for the task. A groom of the stool would stand patiently by as Henry VIII performed his daily purges, and when Elizabeth I retired for the evening, one of her female servants would sleep at the end of her bed. These attendants knew the truth behind the glamorous exterior. They saw the tears shed by Henry VII upon the death of his son Arthur. They knew the tragic secret behind 'Bloody' Mary's phantom pregnancies. And they saw the 'crooked carcass' beneath Elizabeth I's carefully applied makeup, gowns and accessories. It is the accounts of these eyewitnesses, as well as a rich array of other contemporary sources that historian Tracy Borman has examined more closely than ever before. With new insights and discoveries, and in the same way that she brilliantly illuminated the real Thomas Cromwell - The Private Life of the Tudors will reveal previously unexamined details about the characters we think we know so well.

Journey from A-Z, playing 26 rounds of Pointless with family and friends and enjoy facts, banter and musings from Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman. Inside you'll find hundreds of questions for all the family from TV's most popular quiz show, Pointless. (You will also find thousands of answers, which is very handy.) Taking you on a journey from A to Z you will learn amazing facts, from Agincourt and Andy Warhol to Zinedine Zidane and Zimbabwe, and everything in between.As an added bonus Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman, also reveal their exclusive A to Z of behind the scenes gossip and Pointless secrets, all written with their trademark wit, alongside exclusive drawings by Moose Allain.Everyone you know will love this book. Except maybe for that couple you met on holiday, and, be honest, you didn't really like them anyway. I mean, she was alright, but what was up with him?

Let hosts Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman guide you through the quiz rounds with their trademark warmth and humour and battle it out against your friends and family for Pointless glory. Perfect for playing along alone or with family and friends, The Very Pointless Quiz Book will test your knowledge and tease your brains.So how good are you at Pointless? Really? Do you think you've got enough in-depth knowledge of Regional Railways, African Countries With No Coastline and Types of Lettuce to carry off the coveted Pointless trophy?Well let's see shall we?Here's your chance to step up to the podium (metaphorically speaking of course, chances are you'll be sitting somewhere very comfortably with either a mug of tea or a roll of Andrex within easy reach) put that knowledge to the test, and see just how far you can go in a genuine four-round Pointless ordeal.Right, if everyone's ready, let's play Pointless...

A spookily prescient espionage thriller from one of the masters of the genre. What if the Soviet Union gained control over the US Presidency?SIS agent James Mackay fears that this may already be happening when he realises the newly elected president's press secretary is a former communist radical with links to the KGB. When the witnesses who support his suspicions are systematically eliminated, MacKay must race against time to prove that the President-Elect is not his own man before Inauguration Day and avoid a national catastrophe.'When I say Ted Allbeury knows where the bodies are buried I mean it literally.' - Len Deighton, author of The Ipcress File.

A compelling novel from Jennifer L. Armentrout, the New York Times bestselling author of the Covenant and Lux series. Dying sucks - and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows. Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things - including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he's a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she's more than interested. There's just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children with abilities even weirder than hers. But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not have been an accident at all, she's not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.

Enter the world of Covenant...Alex has Awoken and become the Apollyon. She has connected with Seth and now the thing she feared most has happened: her true self has been lost. But love is stronger than fate, and Aiden St. Delphi will do anything to break the connection and get Alex back.And then there's the fact that the whole Alex-and-Seth combination is pretty dangerous: if Seth drains Alex of her power, he'll become the God Killer and the most powerful being on the planet. The one person needed to stop the impending destruction has been dead for centuries - and Alex will have to search for him in the Underworld.Finding her way into the Underworld to search for one soul among countless millions will be hard enough. Returning will be even harder. Alex needs to prevent Seth from becoming the God Killer...but the cost will be higher than she ever imagined.

Enter the world of Covenant...For Alexandria, being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome - especially when her 'other half' is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom - so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her memories of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies - creatures determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods... and that includes Alex. If that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters weren't bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her.

The year is 1855. The Crimean war is raging. The British government has fallen. The Empire itself hangs in the balance.And then the murders start...Someone is targeting members of London's elite - leaving with each corpse the names of men who failed to assassinate Queen Victoria. It's clear that Victoria will be the ultimate victim. As the notorious Opium-Eater Thomas De Quincey and his daughter Emily race to save her, they uncover the heart-breaking past of a man whose lust for revenge has destroyed his soul.Based on actual attempts to assassinate the queen, Inspector of the Dead brilliantly merges fact with fiction, bringing a bloody chapter of Victorian England to vivid, pulse-pounding life.

On the edge of a small Australian town, far from the battlefields of the Second World War, a camp holds thousands of Japanese, Italian and Korean prisoners of war. The locals are unsure how to treat the 'enemy', though Alice Herman, whose young husband is himself a prisoner in Europe, becomes drawn to the Italian soldier sent to work on her father-in-law's farm. The camp commander and his deputy, each concealing a troubled private life, are disunited. And both fatally misread their Japanese captives, who burn with shame at being taken alive. The stage is set for a clash of cultures that has explosive, far-reaching consequences.