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First among equals before the Norman Conquest, the ancient See of Winchester was soon overtaken by Canterbury, York and London following the defeat of the Anglo-Saxons at Hastings. Despite this, it retained its wealth and prestige through its geographical position and the bishop’s unrivalled proximity to kings at Westminster and archbishops at Lambeth – thanks to the diocese’s hold on the Thames’ south bank and its base at Southwark. This helped ensure that successive bishops were drawn from among the finest medieval administrators. Frequently serving as Chancellors or Treasurers of England, they had immense opportunity to influence the development of early English government. They played key roles in shaping an effective legal and financial system, in securing Magna Carta and in promoting an embryonic Parliament. A bishop of Winchester was present at most, if not all, major events under the Norman and early Plantagenet monarchs. The Winchester bishop’s removal of the hapless Edward II paved the way for the long and illustrious reign of his son, Edward III.

In a land torn by crusade and rebellion, honour is earned in blood. 1205. Richard Fitz Simon has fled England after his title was usurped, joining the Livonian Order of Swordbrothers – a German brotherhood of warrior-monks fighting to bring the word of God to the pagan frontier. After slaying the Lithuanian champion at the Battle of Rodenpois, Richard is celebrated by the Order and their Semigallian allies. Yet his position remains precarious. Jealous rivals question his right to stand among the brotherhood, and his master, Knight-brother Rudolf, is enraged by Richard’s disobedience. When dark secrets from Lübeck resurface, Richard also finds himself at odds with Bishop Albert, head of the Christian mission in Livonia. As he struggles to reconcile faith, duty and identity, he is drawn into a brutal world of suspicion, hardship and bloodshed. Sent on an expedition to build a castle deep in the wilderness, Richard soon sees tensions erupt – and the path he has chosen threatens to destroy everything he has fought to become.

When struggling author Dina falls through a portal into the mythical and forgotten land of Zagras, she’s thrust into a world of danger, magic and buried truths. With the help of Greg, a cynical, alcoholic centaur, and Drustan, a dethroned prince, Dina searches for a way home while trying to unravel how and why she ended up here. Hunted and haunted by mysterious beings, Dina’s journey leads her to The Library of the Untold; a vast and enchanted archive containing every story ever lived. There, she discovers her own book… but there’s a warning written by her future self. Dina must decide whether to return home or embrace the myth she’s become.

“Mendacem memorem esse oportet.” A liar should have a good memory. – QuintilianJune 1944: In the chaos following D-Day, a British Intelligence mission in Bordeaux ends in betrayal and death. Captain B.B. Harrison and his network are destroyed; the guilty walk free and the truth is buried beneath layers of deceit. December 1979: Amid Britain’s ‘Winter of Discontent’, sixteen-year-old Benedict Harrison lives in the shadow of family lies and forgotten stories. When he’s invited to stay with his infamous great-aunt, the artist Gail Miller, he steps into a world of secrets leading back to the war. Together, Gail and Benedict must unearth long-buried family secrets – but the key lies with one man: the moribund Victor Cross, a former spymaster. But can they uncover the truth before it’s too lat? n a story of betrayal, falsehood and fragile trust, Emilion explores how the lies we inherit shape who we become…

Claudia Alcock is looking for a hitman. Not just any hitman but one who can get the job done properly. After all, she may be a frizzy-haired, middle-aged woman with paranoid tendencies and a chequered romantic past, but she’s no fool. Her cheating soon-to-be ex-husband Gary, aided by his equally unfaithful new lover Alexa, deserve nothing less than a fitting comeuppance. Unfortunately for Claudia, Gary has plans of his own. Determined to secure Claudia’s fortune, he hires his own hitman whose messy efforts range from bombs to snipers to poisonous spiders. Can Claudia dodge these increasingly ludicrous attempts on her lif? any, darkly comic and gloriously unpredictable.

Christmas 1979. With the Yorkshire Ripper still at large, fear grips the north of England. At York District Hospital, porter Johnny Jewell’s quiet night shift is shattered when he discovers the body of a senior consultant hidden in the mortuary fridge. Suspicion falls uncomfortably close to home when Johnny realises his colleague has lied about his movements – and that he has unwittingly backed up the lie. As the police close in and dark secrets begin to surface, Johnny finds himself caught up in corruption and a dangerous attraction to the enigmatic new doctor, Juliet Fulton. But not everyone is convinced she is who she claims to be. By the early hours of Christmas morning, the body count is rising. As Johnny is hunted through the shadowy corridors of the hospital, one question remains: is he being lined up as the next victim?

London, 2012. Six lives collide in pursuit of love, lust, violence and redemption. Dan Trench is unravelling. When he’s not going through the motions of life, he’s pining after his ex-fiancée and getting into fights. His chaotic path crosses with Gareth Eary, an old friend turned high-flying stockbroker whose success is built on a painful secret – one that draws him into the orbit of billionaire hedge-fund boss Aurelius Blois. Gareth is offered a chance to change his life forever, but at a cost: dirty work and dangerous alliances. Meanwhile, Dan’s romance with investment banker Marianne Bleekman ends in heartbreak. In her absence, he disappears into the City’s violent underbelly. And now, with financial deceit and personal ruin playing out across investment-bank trading floors and underground fight clubs, everyone is clawing for survival. When greed, revenge and sexual violence reach a brutal climax, Dan must decide: will he find redemption in restraint, or in one final, devastating act?

Oxford, 2050. Britain is fractured. The Divide – a vast wall – splits the country from Kent to Cumbria. Families and lovers are torn apart. Civil war and economic collapse have left mistrust, propaganda and fear in their wake. Petrichor Jones, a specialist in Roman bronzes at the Ashmolean Museum, longs to see her sister Jasmine, who defected years earlier to Anglia. But Oxford, now capital of Wessex, is suffocating. Rumours swirl of the Dark Politic, a clandestine force controlling the media, and Petrichor begins to suspect her own boyfriend may be working against her. When she encounters the secretive Astronomy Club, she is drawn into a perilous underground network. With their help, she attempts the dangerous journey beneath the Divide. Along the way, she must decide who to trust, confront betrayal and risk everything to reunite with Jasmine. Love, resilience and rebellion collide in a world where freedom is fragile and lost innocence can never be regained.

A disillusioned young British journalist, Harry Marks, is drawn into a covert intelligence operation in Istanbul by a charismatic agent named James. What begins as a casual friendship spirals into espionage, murder, and manipulation as Harry unknowingly becomes a pawn in a rogue Anglo-American mission to seize Saddam Hussein’s stolen wealth. Haunted, hunted, and morally compromised, Harry must choose between loyalty, survival, and the truth. The Istanbul Connection is a gripping, morally complex thriller that explores the blurred lines between ideology and manipulation.

After seventeen years in stand-up comedy and, by 1981, fourteen years in children’s television, Johnny’s self-created shows Think of a Number and Think Again were attracting huge audiences. Yet his roller-coaster career was anything but steady. Each success seemed to be matched by a setback, as if someone, or something, was always waiting to pull him back down. Before long, the world of engineering and big business came calling. Johnny found himself not only presenting but also writing and lecturing on an extraordinary range of subjects, always in support of new ideas and initiatives. And, more often than not, he came out smiling and armed with new, funnier or sometimes more shocking stories that simply just ‘must be told’. Today, the roller-coaster ride continues. The lows may feel steeper than ever, but the highs are even more thrilling and exhilarating. Through it all, one thing remains certain: it’s still a laugh-a-minute adventure. Enjoy the ride!

When Amy’s boyfriend and soulmate, James, is killed in a road accident, her world shatters. Consumed by grief and desperate to know he’s all right, she turns to mediumship. Meanwhile, up in heaven, James is facing his own turmoil. A glitch in his celestial pain filter means he misses Amy and is dismayed by her heartbreak. He appeals to God for help with contacting her, but an underintuitive heavenly app and an elderly psychic are among the obstacles that stand in the way of communicating across the great divide. As Amy’s grief overwhelms her, despite the support of a new group of friends, James is compelled to take drastic action to convince her it’s time for a fresh start. But will divine intervention end up causing more harm than good?

Dark forces are moving in the deserted tunnels of London. Zoe Sinclair’s father, Dr Edward Sinclair, is no longer himself – his body has been taken over by a warrior named Telos. Now Ed is a silent passenger, able to see, hear, and share his thoughts with Telos, but powerless to move or speak. To make matters worse, while fighting alongside the resistance, Ed discovers he can see the dead – but he has no idea why.Incessantly bickering, Ed and Telos lead a unit of Safe Enclave troopers in subterranean missions, from Bayswater to Canary Wharf. Bound by their shared purpose, the unlikely pair are determined to uncover the truth behind the pandemic. Deep beneath the crumbling tower blocks of the city, in a vast crypt, they finally unearth the secret at the heart of the catastrophe – and realise things are about to get far worse.With the help of Peter Finch – also known as the Magic Man – can they defeat the secret horror awakening in London’s lost tunnels before it fully matures?

Patching the Puncture continues Peter’s story, living with Alzheimer’s and defying expectations. He still rides his penny farthing and shares, with candour and humour, the reality of life with dementia. Spanning the five years since their first book, Slow Puncture, this sequel offers an insight into Peter’s evolving world. Through his words, we see both the heart-rending challenges and the unexpected moments of joy, while Deb reflects on her own journey of self-discovery and the profound impact of their friendship. Together, they recount cycling adventures, public speaking engagements and the growing influence of Peter’s story. With warmth and honesty, they share practical strategies for living well with Alzheimer’s, challenge stereotypes, and celebrate the contributions people living with Alzheimer’s make. Moving, funny and deeply inspiring, Patching the Puncture is a tribute to resilience, friendship and the power of finding hope in the smallest of things.

London, 1855. Twelve-year-old Rosa doesn’t want to leave her widowed father and when he reluctantly sends her to live with her wealthy relatives across the river, she feels more alone than ever. She soon discovers the Surrey Zoological Gardens, where she befriends Jem, a young bearkeeper. When Rosa learns the animals are to be sold, and the bears may be killed, she joins forces with Jem, vowing to save them. A travelling menagerie seems like the perfect solution, until Rosa encounters the villainous Mr Murdlock and uncovers the bears’ true, dreadful fate. With Jem threatened into silence, and no adult she can trust, Rosa realises the only way to protect the animals is to take matters into her own hands. Together, can Rosa and Jem outwit the dangerous Mr Murdlock and rescue the bears before it’s too late?

Being a teenager is never easy – but for Jake, it’s harder than most. His dad, known locally as the “chicken and chips man”, is a hopeless drunk, the town’s running joke, and Jake’s biggest embarrassment. At school, things are no better. Darius, the resident bully, seems to take special pleasure in tormenting him – especially about his father. And then there’s the chaos of adolescence itself: a whirlwind of hormones, confusion and new desires. Jake finds himself daydreaming about Kelly, while fending off the unwanted attention of Rosalind, the headmaster’s interfering daughter. Between dodging bullies, managing crushes, and dealing with his chaotic home life, Jake must summon all the courage and quick thinking he can muster. But will his wit and grit be enough to face the challenges that lie ahead?

In the summer of 2022, a judgement reverberates across the world, shaking generations of women. Roe v. Wade – the 1973 Supreme Court case that ruled a woman’s right to abortion was protected by the constitutional right to privacy – is overturned. Fourteen women’s lives intertwine – writers and artists, mothers and daughters, friends and strangers – crossing time and reality, drawn together by abortion, choices, biscuits, and knitting. Their voices need to be heard in a world where a woman’s right to choose is never certain, and where the lines of the argument blur. This is their story.