Najnovšie - Default Category strana 273 z 500

‘Private Inquiries is a must-read – a riveting mythbuster, with its revelations of the real histories of women PIs.’ – Val McDermidThe female private detective has been a staple of popular culture for over 150 years, from Victorian lady sleuths to ‘busy-body spinsters’ and gun-toting modern PIs. But what about the real-life women behind these fictional tales? Dismissed as ‘Mrs Sherlock Holmes’ or amateurish Miss Marples, mocked as private dicks or honey trappers, they have been investigating crime since the mid-nineteenth century – everything from theft and fraud to romance scams and murder. In Private Inquiries, Caitlin Davies traces the history of the UK’s female investigators, uncovering the truth about their lives and careers from the 1850s to the present day. Women like Victorian private inquiry agent Antonia Moser, the first woman to open her own agency; Annette Kerner, who ran the Mayfair Detective Agency on Baker Street in the 1940s; and Liverpool sleuth Zena Scott-Archer, who became the first woman president of the World Association of Detectives. Caitlin also follows in the footsteps of her subjects, undertaking a professional qualification to become a Private Investigator, and meeting modern PIs to find out the reality behind the fictional image. Female investigators are on the rise in the UK – and despite the industry’s sleazy reputation, nearly a third of new trainees are women. After a century of undercover work, it’s time to reveal the secrets of their trailblazing forebears.

LONGLISTED for the CWA ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction 2026 The compulsively readable new book from The Rest is Classified host Gordon Corera. About how one man - Vasili Mitrokhin - turned first disaffected dissident and then traitor to the KGB, stealing the most secret Soviet archives and smuggling them to the West. How do you steal a library? Not just any library but the most secret, heavily guarded archive in the world. The answer is to be a librarian. To be so quiet, that no-one knows what you are up to as you toil undercover and deep amongst the files. The work goes on for decades but remains so low key, that even after your escape, aided by MI6, no-one even notices you are gone. The Spy in the Archive tells the remarkable story of how Vasili Mitrokhin - an introverted archivist who loved nothing more than dusty files - ended up changing the world. As the in-house archivist for the KGB, the secrets he was exposed to inside its walls turned him first into a dissident and then a spy, a traitor to his country but a man determined to expose the truth about the dark forces that had subverted Russia, forces still at work in the country today. Bestselling writer and historian Gordon Corera tells of the operation to extract this prized asset from Russia for the first time. It is an edge-of-the-seat thriller, with vivid flashbacks to Mitrokhin's earlier time as a KGB idealist prepared to do what it took to serve the Soviet Union and his growing realisation that the communist state was imprisoning its own people. It is the story of what it was like to live in the Soviet Union, to raise a family and then of one man's journey from the heart of the Soviet state to disillusion, betrayal and defection. At its heart is Mitrokhin's determination to take on the most powerful institution in the world by revealing its darkest secrets. This is narrative non-fiction at its absolute best.

'Gets to the beating heart of handling fear - and turns it from being a dreaded weight to a potent weapon.' - Bear Grylls'Brilliant and inspiring.' - Ben FogleDo you want to increase your confidence, feel less anxious and get more out of life? In this clear, practical book, Olympic gold medallist Victoria Pendleton shows how much you stand to gain by doing small things that scare you and reframing your relationship with fear. This philosophy didn’t just drive her to gold medals; it powered her through huge challenges from training as a jump jockey to attempting to climb Everest. But Victoria – alongside the neuroscientists, researchers and psychologists she interviews – is clear that the lessons she’s learned from her extreme experiences can be easily applied to your everyday life. Packed with clear takeaways and relatable examples, The Fear Opportunity is a guide to transforming your fears into fuel for discovering what you’re really capable of, what you really care about and for living your richest, most expansive life.

‘An exceptional piece of work; powerful, vivid and compelling’ Rowland White, author of Vulcan 607The Second World War was not only fought in the skies above Europe or on distant beaches. Between 1939 and 1945, Hitler’s aerial onslaught crashed into lives across the UK night after night, killing more than 60,000 civilians and leaving millions homeless. May 2026 marks the 85th anniversary of the end of the Night Blitz. But the aerial assault on Britain did not stop in May 1941. For too long, ‘The Blitz’ – from the German ‘Blitzkrieg’ or lightning war – has been framed as a few desperate months from September 1940 that mainly affected London. In reality, the scope of the attack on the home front was far more widespread, and far more devastating. Now, John Nichol tells this supposedly familiar narrative – one of the most important events in British history – afresh.  Beginning with a search to understand his mother’s experiences of the blitz on Tyneside – drawing on fragments of memory and the unanswered questions she left behind – Nichol ranges outward to reveal a truly national history. From Dover to Glasgow, Cardiff to Manchester, he uncovers astonishing accounts of catastrophe and resilience. Of ‘ordinary’ men, women and children catapulted into harm’s way. Of heroic firefighters battling infernos, the unflinching bravery required to defuse unexploded bombs, families wiped out in an instant, communities left bereft by a single blast. Using interviews with survivors, official records and eyewitness testimonies, Nichol gives voice to the unsung heroes who endured explosions, fire and fear, but found the courage to run towards danger. He brings the story up to date by speaking to people involved in similar situations: mass casualty events, the deadly blaze at Grenfell Tower, bomb disposal in modern warfare and individual acts of astonishing bravery. And as new military threats emerge, Nichol asks whether the country still has such resilience today. At once gripping and compassionate, BLITZ is the definitive account of a nationwide struggle that shaped the course of the war and the spirit of a generation. The book includes maps, colour endpapers, and two plate sections with 38 photos and archival images. ‘The story of a whole nation as only Nichol can write, BLITZ is a wonderful book perfectly anchored in the human experience’ Dr Robert Lyman MBE FRHistS, co-author of Victory to Defeat: The British Army 1918–40‘A truly powerful and engaging narrative. The way Nichol weaves the story of the Blitz with more recent accounts makes for an excellent read’ Andy Saunders, military historian and author‘An important book which takes the myth of the storybook Blitz Spirit and redefines it. Absolutely fantastic’ Professor Lucy Easthope, author of When the Dust Settles: Searching for Hope After Disaster

The breathtaking, unputdownable insider account of Britain's most hidden profession What happens after the police tape comes down? Ben Giles has spent thirty years cleaning what most people can't bear to imagine. Dead bodies decomposing for weeks. Kitchen floors painted with blood. Hoarders' homes where the filth tells stories of unimaginable loneliness. A whale carcass lodged on a cargo ship. This is the Britain you never see – until someone needs to make it disappear. Starting with nothing but a bucket of Dettol and a can-do attitude, Giles built the UK's leading biohazard cleaning network. From industrial spillages to animal remains, he's faced horrors that would break most people – and taught hundreds of people to do the same, in full hazmat gear. Yet threaded through the gore and dark humour is something unexpected: profound compassion for the lives interrupted, the families destroyed, and the deaths that society prefers to forget. The Specialist takes you behind the scenes of suicides, murders, and tragic accidents — revealing not just which chemicals remove bloodstains, and how, but what violence, neglect, and loss actually look like when the rest of us can only look away. It's unflinching, occasionally hilarious, and utterly unforgettable.

Four bodies are found. Four graves are full. Who will be nex? hen Detective Kim Stone rushes to the scene of a house fire, she's shocked to discover two children and their parents are dead. But this tragedy is not so simple. All of them have been shot, and the mother is holding the gun. Then Kim uncovers a tiny, vital clue that throws the investigation wide open. Could someone else have killed the Daynes famil? ust as Kim feels she's making progress, a deadly threat is made to her own life. Biting back her fear, she keeps digging. And when she learns a shocking secret, she realises that the rest of the family are in grave danger. Kim is under pressure like never before, and the monster circling her is getting closer. Can Kim find the killer and save herself before it's too lat? n absolutely nail-biting mystery thriller that will have you gasping out loud. You won't come up for air until you've reached the breathtaking final twist. Fans of Karin Slaughter, Mark Billingham and Robert Dugoni will love Six Graves. See what everyone is saying about Six Graves:'OMG! OMG! OMG! Angela Marsons, what on earth have you done to me?!... Just OMG! Wow! Speechless!... utterly amazing... had me on tenterhooks.' Rachel's Random Reads, ?'Wow, wow, wow! Just inhaled this book in about 2 hours.' NetGalley reviewer, ?'Wow! My heart needs to rest now... an absolutely blood-pumping ride that doesn't stop!!... LOVED IT!!' The Fiction Cafe Book Club, ?'Amazing... phenomenal... Warning: If you start this book in the evening you will read all night because you won't be able to stop... Oh My Heavens... unputdownable... My heart was in my throat.' NetGalley reviewer, ?'From first page to last this had me totally gripped. It was like being on a rollercoaster... 5 stars are just not enough.' NetGalley reviewer, ?'I defy anyone to not feel goosebumps when you read THAT prologue!... a rollercoaster journey that will batter your emotions and leave you feeling completely wrung out before you even reach THAT ending!' Goodreads reviewer, ?'Heart-pounding, nail-biting... I'm sure my heart rate was abnormally high throughout reading this book!' The Book Review Café, ?'Kept me up until midnight... my heart rate is slowly coming back down... wow, wow and wow!' NetGalley reviewer, ?'Wow!!! Wow!!!! Wow!!!... a total page-turner and will keep you guessing with every page... BAM! The ending floored me.' NetGalley reviewer, ?'Oh wow!!!... I couldn't put the book down until I'd finished it in a day... the most dramatic ending I've ever read... deserves more than 5 stars!!!' NetGalley reviewer, ?

Latina Superheroes Volume 2 is back with even more inspiring action! Follow Loquita, a girl from Miami, Florida, who immerses herself in the supernatural realm to figure out why a mysterious ghost is following her, and Ruca, a tough girl in East L.A. fighting against human traffickers. Together these women comprise two of five amazing Latina superheroes known as A La Brava—strong young adults who fight for justice and equality in their communities.Loquita is just an ordinary girl. But one day she starts to see things that other people can't and she realizes that she has an extraordinary power. Ruca, who first appeared in Santa's story, is a tough girl. When she goes back to East L.A. after her mother's death, she's told about neighborhood kids going missing. She'll have to tap into her newfound powers to find out who is taking these children and make them stop. ​For fans of Marvel Comic's Echo, Latina Superheroes illuminates the struggles and triumphs of Latina women, weaving together themes of identity, resilience, and unity. Join these extraordinary heroines as they defy the odds, harnessing their inner strength to forge a brighter tomorrow in this new young adult graphic novel series. 

'A magnificent novel' Belinda McKeon, author of Solace and Tender'Truly unforgettable' Fíona Scarlett, author of Boys Don't Cry'Everything I love in a novel' Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious ThingsA heart-swelling beauty of a debut novel of love, trauma and found family - perfect for fans of Chris Whitaker, Liz Moore and Marilynne Robinson. 'Little Maude Rowe sits in the crick, her pockets heavy with gold, the blood on her face turned to powdered rust . . .'In a remote valley in Idaho in 1981, a man, a woman and three children stop running to wash the blood from their hands and bodies. They are the few survivors of a terrible tragedy. Their only choice now is, somehow, to become a family. Five years earlier, Opal and her husband James arrive in the small mining community of Silver Valley, drawn by promises of fortune and independence. There they meet Baron Rowe, the charismatic visionary who controls the community with an iron fist. Baron's son Denny has spent his life trying, and failing, to live up to Baron's expectations, and to protect his little sister Maude from their father's excesses. Soon, a tragic accident will change all their lives. And five years later, change will come again at the barrel of a gun . . . *A winner of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2024*

Illustrated throughout, this uncovers the hundreds of British and French warships in the Dunkirk evacuation, whose actions have been overshadowed by the fame of the ‘Little Ships’. In this book, naval historian Angus Konstam examines the backbone of the Dunkirk evacuation fleet: the warships of the Royal Navy and French Navy that were ordered into action to rescue the British Expeditionary Force. Nearly 50 destroyers, an anti-aircraft cruiser, and more than 200 MTBs, minesweepers, trawlers, and other small warships were involved, as many as could be spared without recklessly endangering naval strength. He highlights the lack of decent anti-aircraft defences available to the Allies in 1940, and shows how improvised weaponry were used to help fend off the Stukas. Dunkirk was the first naval operation of World War II to be carried out under sustained air attack, and nearly a fifth of the destroyers and a quarter of the smaller vessels were sunk, with more badly damaged. Illustrated with archive photos, profiles illustrating the range of both British and French warships involved, and dramatic original artwork, this studies the naval side of the greatest evacuation of World War II.

Young children will have fun learning to write the alphabet with this eco-friendly wipe-clean activity book in the bestselling See, Touch, Feel series from Priddy Books!Funny rhymes, simple directions and helpful dashed lines to trace make See, Touch, Feel Skills for School: ABC an ideal introduction to writing for kids. A dry erase pen is embedded into the design of the book in an eco-friendly way, ensuring the book and pen stay together! Kids can trace their letters, then wipe the page clean and try again, for hours of educational fun. Little fans of See, Touch, Feel books will be proud to 'graduate' to this learn-to-write ABC book. Also available to help get a head start: See, Touch, Feel Skills for School Pen Control

A romance of convenience between two college women soon becomes the real thing.Shy Miwa has always dreamed of finding love, but living in small-town Japan made finding the right match difficult—especially since she likes girls! Even going away to college didn’t seem to help, until one day her outgoing classmate Saeko suggests they might as well start dating each other since it’s not like either of them has other options.Real life is coming at Saeko and Miwa hard as they prepare for their upcoming graduation and the accompanying stress of looking for a job. Miwa’s glad her relationship with Saeko has finally healed, but the more time they spend together, the more she realizes friendship isn’t the only thing she wants. Trouble is, Saeko doesn’t seem interested in anything else! Final volume!

WRITTEN WITH SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ANN CUSACKGenerations of abuse. A murdered mother. A daughter determined to get justice. Growing up as one of eight children with drug abusers for parents, Tara has no choice but to learn to be self-reliant from a young age. Despite her mother’s negligence, Tara remains fiercely loyal to her, even more so when she discovers the terrible sexual abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of her own father. But when the same predator turns his attention to six-year-old Tara, a horrifying spiral begins and history repeats itself. Her mother stayed silent and Tara keeps her own abuse and pain a secret too. Until one day an unimaginable tragedy changes everything. Tara knows she can rely only on herself. Can she finally get justice for both of them?

The stunning new novel from the Booker Prize-winning, Sunday Times-bestselling author of SHUGGIE BAIN and YOUNG MUNGO.An Oprah's Book Club pick'This summer's bestseller' - The Times'This book is special' - Colm Tóibín'Passionate, liberating, and gorgeous' - Min Jin Lee 'Brilliant and rare' - Ann Patchett'A masterpiece' - Elaine Feeney'A fierce, glorious sting of a novel' - Lauren GroffOut of money and with little to show for his art school education, John-Calum Macleod takes the ferry home to the island of Harris to find that not much has changed except for him. In the windswept croft where he grew up, Cal resumes his old life, caught between the two poles of his childhood: his father John, a sheep farmer, weaver, and pillar of their local Presbyterian church, and his Glaswegian grandmother Ella, who has kept a faltering peace with her son-in-law for decades. While Cal wonders if any lonely men might be found on the barren hillsides of home, John is dismayed by his son’s long hair and how he seems unwilling to be Saved. As the seasons pass, everything is poised to change as the threads holding together the fragile community become increasingly entangled. John of John is the heartbreaking story of a young man’s return home and how the bonds of family life are torn by the weight of expectation. It confirms Douglas Stuart as one of the great British writers at work today.

Perfect for fans of Creepy Pair of Underwear, this wolfish picture book romp follows a kid who finds himself in a hairy situation when he dons a pair of not-so-normal undies under the light of the full moon. Do not, under any circumstances, Or for any reason, Wear this underwear under the full moon. Do you understand? Get ready to howl with laughter as one rule-breaking, underwear-loving kid transforms into a—gasp!—UNDERWEARWOLF! Now he’s on an unforgettable nighttime adventure that may or may not include furry paws, sharp claws, uncomfortable wedgies, and an honest-to-goodness wild wolfpack! No butts about it—this is one read-aloud that’ll blow your undies off!

The most honest, outrageous and joyous running book you'll read… Alison Stankard is a Running Wanker. But it didn’t happen overnight. A few morning stumbles around the block in a bid to become pert-bottomed somehow turned into something else: 5ks, 10ks, marathons and even ultra marathons. Then one day, whilst looking at her lack of toenails, embarrassingly large collection of training shoes and buffs, it dawned on her: she had become a Running Wanker. Some people can go out for an occasional run and not obsess over every little detail. They might not think to take a photo of their hill sprints to post on social media or be able to recite their splits from the race that got them a PB to anybody who’ll listen. All impossible if you’re a true Running W*nker. There are a lot of books about running. Serious books with marathon plans, advice on nutrition and injury prevention. This book isn’t that. It’s a sweary, honest celebration of all the things that Running W*nkers new and old get up to: sh*tting in bushes, going down the stairs on your arse because your legs won’t bend the day after a marathon, lying about how much trainers cost and plotting how to rig the London Marathon ballot. The question is: are you a Running W*nker too?

A little girl is missing... and the only way to save her is to play a killer's twisted game. One August afternoon, eight-year-old Grace Lennard vanishes into thin air. Rushing to the scene, Detective Kim Stone finds a chilling piece of evidence: the heart bracelet belonging to Melody Jones - a little girl stolen from a playground exactly twenty-five years ago. Hours before, Steven Harte walked into Halesowen police station and claimed he could lead Kim to Melody. And he told her she'd have a more urgent problem to deal with first. Now Kim must do what he says if she's to find Grace alive. With only twenty-four hours before she must release him, can Kim uncover the truth among Steven's lies, find Melody and save Grace? Or will more innocent lives be los? n edge-of-your-seat thriller that will leave your heart in your mouth. You will be totally hooked on the utterly addictive, number one, multi-million-copy bestselling Detective Kim Stone series. See what everyone is saying about Stolen Ones:'OMG what a page turner. Heartbreaking, chilling and utterly compulsive... Hooked from the first to the last page, constantly holding my breath.' NetGalley reviewer, ?'OMFG... Nail-biting, thrilling, and riveting... deliciously satisfying.' NetGalley reviewer, ?'Wow... a cracker of a book... I just loved this... was hooked right from the start... brilliant... had me totally immersed.' Goodreads reviewer, ?'Incredible. I knew I would be hooked but this exceeded my expectations... had me shaking my head and saying WTF... Absolutely loved every moment.' Goodreads reviewer, ?'Wow - what a brilliant page-turner... had me hooked from the first chapter and kept me invested throughout.' NetGalley reviewer, ?'Gripped me so deeply... I am 100% addicted... read within 24 hours. Kim Stone is my idol... Totally compelling, addictive.' ?'Had me devouring this story long into the night... brilliant... I was completely hooked.' NetGalley reviewer, ?'I absolutely loved... pulls you in straight away and doesn't let you go until the last page.' Goodreads reviewer, ?'Genius... utterly compelling... will have you gripped to the end... comes with the mother of all twists!' NetGalley reviewer, ?'Loved loved loved it!... I could not put this down.' NetGalley reviewer, ?'I've not spoken to my husband in three days as this was far more important... perfect. Clear your diary.' Goodreads reviewer, ?

‘Hell is round the corner in My Only Boy, its skilfully imagined near-future, far-right Britain all too believable. But what I admire most is the way its grand sweep is studded with small human moments: brilliantly noticed instances of the ways we want and yearn and love’ Chris Power, author of A Lonely ManThe sensational new novel from the highly-acclaimed author of Dreamland: a once-in-a-lifetime love storyIt is Elle’s job to manage disasters. But lately things have started to spin out of control. At work, the latest catastrophe has been live-streamed to the nation. A shock election sees an extreme-right coalition storm to power. Then, on a night so hot it feels like London’s pavements are melting, she meets Ed. Elle and Ed are not meant to be drawn to each other. Elle has only ever been attracted to women, and Ed, billed as ‘the great gay novelist of our times’, is about to release his first book. But something inexplicable sparks between them. Can the unexpected attraction they feel last when it presents such a profound challenge to their identity? And as the country fractures and the heat rises, how will they choose between the people they’ve known themselves to be – and the people they are willing to become. Both an unforgettable love story and a state-of-the-nation thriller, My Only Boy asks universal questions about desire, complicity, and what happens when your sense of self collapses along with the world around you. 'Only Rosa Rankin-Gee could write so wonderfully about the imminent implosion of everything we'd ever dreamed of, while two unlikely lovers find joy in a broken world. Golden' Justin Myers, author of The Glorious Dead‘Completely original... this book charmed, provoked, and unsettled me in equal measure. Read it’ Maggie Millner, author of Couplets: A Love Story' I can’t stop thinking about it’ Lucy Foley, author of The Hunting Party ‘I devoured this book. Rosa Rankin-Gee is a master at creating near future worlds with a simmering political back drop, pierced through with laughs and a love story that feels at once epic and beautiful and also completely universal’ Kayleigh Llewellyn, Bafta Award-winning creator of In My Skin‘A moving, complex love story set in an all-too-plausible far-right future of intolerance, decline and precarity. Rankin-Gee has a fine ear for the dialogues of London and the humour that makes people fall in love, stay humane and make all the wrong (and right) decisions. Nuanced, alive, anxious, energetic, elegiac and thoughtful.’ Paul Holden, author of The Fraud‘Rosa is hilarious and prescient, an incredible writer who's able to make your heart leap both with anxiety for our collective human future and anticipation for the possibilities of new love’ Nafkote Tamirat, author of The Parking Lot Attendant ‘My Only Boy is utterly compelling; it is somehow impossible to put down.… No-one else is writing quite like this - urgent, essential and against all odds, hopeful’ Laura Kay, author of Wild Things‘With crackling prose, Rosa Rankin-Gee has crafted a novel that is both a cautionary tale about the rise of fascism, and a queer love story turned on its head. It will leave you asking: What would you do to save the ones you love? Buckle up for one hell of a ride.’ Grace Flahive, author of Palm Meridian‘Gripping, immersive and exquisitely written, My Only Boy is one of those books that will live with you long after you’ve turned the final page’ Indyana Schneider, author of 28 Questions'A terrifyingly poignant yet oddly heart-warming tale for our time. So richly layered I wanted to savour it, but I couldn't help but race greedily through. What a triumph!' Natasha Bell, author of This Nowhere PlacePraise for Dreamland ‘A beautiful book: thought-provoking, eerily prescient and very witty.’ Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half'Water courses through its pages, as rising sea levels heighten inequalities, buoy populist politicians and wash away every certainty of civilisation. But there’s al

The third in the Dark Fates series, featuring a love triangle between Ares, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus. Bonds once formed can never be broken, but after lifetimes of pain and heartache, Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, is determined to find a way. Shackled in a millennia-long love triangle between Hephaestus, God of the Forge, and Ares, God of War, the toll on their ravaged hearts is too much for any of them to bear. Aphrodite makes the choice to leave them both and break the cycle. When a dire battle leaves Aphrodite Bond-sick, a death sentence for Olympians, Hephaestus and Ares rush to her aid. Sworn enemies, the gods are thrust into a series of trials meant to shatter them. But they are determined to save her, even if that means working and living together. As animosities collide, unexpected emotions emerge, the boundaries between love and hate blurring as they attempt to forge a new path, together. Of Forges & Fury, the third in this dark romantasy series, grapples with love and war in a dizzying dance of passion and conflict. Rich bonus content includes: A playlistA guide to the deities of the Dark Fates seriesAnd more!

The most complete and comprehensive dinosaur encyclopedia ever! Love dinosaurs? Then this book is for you! Inside, you'll find favourites, like the fierce T-rex and the gentle Brontosaurus, plus more recent dinosaur discoveries, like the Anzu, Kosmoceratops, and Yi. Every dino profile is colourfully illustrated and features descriptions of when they roamed the Earth, how they lived, what they ate, and more. There are more than 600 dinos featured in all, including 10 profiles of recently discovered dinosaurs and new entries in the Dino Dictionary. Reports from palaeontologists present the latest news and insights from the field.