Joseph Delaney used to be an English teacher, before becoming the best-selling author of the Spook's series, which has been published in 30 countries and sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide. The first book, The Spook's Apprentice, was adapted into a major motion picture starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore.

Joseph Delaney

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Su Tong

Tan Feng was my one and only friend in Sichuan. He was the same age as me: about eight or nine. Tan Feng's family lived next door to us, and their other kids were all girls, so you can imagine how they spoiled their only boy. They really adored him, but they didn't know what he got up to. Tan Feng stole things. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Madwoman on the Bridge.

Thieves (Storycuts)

Jilly Cooper

Two fabulous Christmas short stories by the inimitable Jilly Cooper! 
 
In 'Christmas Stocking', unlucky-in-love Caroline is facing possibly the most miserable Christmas of her life. She can't quite see how she'll cope with the season of goodwill to all men - particularly holed up on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors with her boisterous family. And things get a whole lot more complicated when her brother arrives with a deliciously dishevelled friend in tow, Jamie . . . 
 
In 'Sister to the Bride' Helen finds herself in the wedding from hell. The groom's family are constantly sneering at her, her bridesmaid's dress is frightful, and she just can't shake off the unwanted attentions of ginger chinless wonder Tubby Langley. But then Helen meets the devastating David. Dare she risk her fragile heart once again?

Christmas Stocking/Sister To The Bride (Storycuts)

M C Scott

With the Dumnonii defeat of the Second Legion the Celtic victory is complete. But Hywell, Cunomar and Valerius must still find the lost Eagle of the Second and prevent Rome from attempting another attack. To prevent further conflict the Emperor Nero must be overthrown and replaced by someone of their choosing. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series.

The Last Roman in Britain (Storycuts)

Joanne Harris

In 'Faith and Hope Go Shopping', Faith has spent twenty years in a wheelchair. Together with her blind friend Hope, she lives in a nursing home. Their favourite carer calls them Butch and Sundance, and like their namesakes, they make a final dash for freedom - in pursuit of a copy of Lolita and a pair of slick red high heels. 
 
In 'Hello, Goodbye', Angela K. is a society columnist for Goodbye! Magazine, and gets to attend all of the season's most sensational Dernières: the most exclusive celebrity funerals. She prides herself on finally having joined the ranks of the Immortals - until a sad, badly-dressed old couple arrives to disrupt her world. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these stories were previously published in the collection Jigs &amp; Reels.

Faith and Hope Go Shopping/Hello, Goodbye (Storycuts)

Cathy Bramley

Curl up this Christmas with bestselling author Cathy Bramley - COMFORT AND JOY continues the story of The Plumberry School of Comfort Food and **contains recipes!** 
 
It’s been a busy year for Verity Bloom at the Plumberry School of Comfort Food, but Christmas Eve is finally here. With delicious treats all wrapped up and the ingredients packed away, Verity is looking forward to a relaxing few days with her new boyfriend. 
 
Good food, family and friends – it’s a simple recipe for true comfort and joy, and all Verity’s friends in the village are full of excitement about the holidays too. 
 
But the weather has other plans in store . . . Relentless rain leads to a power cut that spells disaster for many of Plumberry’s residents. It’s starting to look like this year’s celebrations could be a total washout. 
 
With dreams of a perfect Christmas dashed, will the last of the festive cheer be swept away in the downpour? Or can Verity cook up a miracle for everyone she holds dear? 
 
Readers have been loving Comfort and Joy! 
'A deliciously romantic winter treat' Rachael Lucas 
'The descriptions of food and drink in this story are just wonderful! I loved it . . . A delicious festive treat with lots of lovely surprises!' One More Page 
'The perfect fireside read to touch the heart . . . Read it!' Linda's Book Bag 
'Imagine everything good about Christmas - friends, family, kindness, love, laughter and generosity . . . A perfect read. I loved this' Crooks on Books 
'An absolute gem' Laura Bambrey Books 
'Full of warmth, romance and Christmas magic!' Christie Barlow 
'Cathy always manages to create likeable characters and really get across that sense of community' Laura's Little Book Blog

Comfort and Joy

A Cosy Christmas Short Story from The Sunday Times Bestseller

Elvi Rhodes

In 'Channel Crossing', holidays can provide a huge relief from the daily grind...a fresh experience, new surroundings. Such a relief, in fact, that for many people it can signal the start of a new life, in a foreign country. But is the grass always greener on the other side? 
 
In 'Roundabout', it is Miriam's wedding day, which she thought would be a no-fuss affair. But she has her chief and only bridesmaid, Joan, bustling around, insisting she have flowers, and fussing about the arrangements for the day. However, it is also Joan who is there to reassure Miriam when she has her last-minute doubts - because the bond between these two women runs far deeper than that of bride and bridesmaid. 
 
In 'The Meeting', Meg moved around a lot during her childhood, so meeting up with the rest of her family has always been a big event. But with a ten-year gap between meetings, the numbers dwindle, and the family are faced with the difficult decision of whether they should meet again. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these three short stories were previously published in the collection Summer Promise and Other Stories.

Channel Crossing/Roundabout/The Meeting (Storycuts)

In 'A Summer Remembered', as Laura is busy with the Christmas preparations, while looking after her children Richard and Millie, she can't help but wish she were back on their summer holiday in Normandy. When her husband presents her with her Christmas gift - a holiday to a destination of her choice, money no object - it is still Normandy she yearns for...but what secret is she hiding from her husband? 
 
In 'Be Your Age, Dear', Chloe Patterson is lucky enough to not only have a daughter and a granddaughter around her, but also her own mother. But she battles with the dilemma of how she is perceived as a grandmother - and how she should be behaving as such - and how she really feels about herself deep down. Sometimes it seems that the older women in the family are the most free-willed and keen to have fun, and the younger seem the most responsible. As a local newspaper asks to write a feature on the four generations of women, tensions come to a head as these women finally realize who they really are... 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these two short stories were previously published in the collection Summer Promises and Other Stories.

A Summer Remembered/Be Your Age, Dear (Storycuts)

In 'Gastronomicon', Ernest's wife is a wonderful cook, aided by recipes from the ancient leather book - a family treasure - passed down to her by her mother-in-law. To celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, she undertakes to cook a very special meal - but what are the sounds of deep pounding and tolling bells that come from beyond the kitchen wall? 
 
In 'The Ugly Wife' some important questions are posed: What does it feel like to be the Ugly Sister? Will she spend her life looking for love in vain? Or will she finally find her happily-ever-after: a man who sees past appearances and who will love her for who she really is? 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these short stories were previously published in the collection Jigs &amp; Reels.

Gastronomicon/The Ugly Sister (Storycuts)

Christopher Fowler

A popular businessman awakes one morning to discover that everyone hates him. A young woman must surrender her virginity to a grotesque enemy in order to fulfil her family's destiny. An extraordinary chain of events is set in motion when a cocktail cabinet falls out of the sky and kills a farmer. A depressed man decides to make his suicide the most exciting thing that's ever happened to him... 
 
Oozing paranoia, black humour and a certain amount of old-fashioned gore, this is a collection of classic Christopher Fowler short stories - each telling a chilling tale of desperate individuals who learn the hard way that ...flesh wounds.

Flesh Wounds

Short Stories

Miss Golighty is no young Holly, and the supermarket café where she regularly has breakfast is no Tiffany's. When she befriends Cheryl, the tarty young waitress and teaches her to love old films, she finds a way to help her young friend find the courage to seek a better new life. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Jigs &amp; Reels.

Breakfast at Tesco’s (Storycuts)

In 'Any Girl Can Be A Candykiss Girl!', the fashion house Candykiss listens to its consumer, the little girls, not their parents. Their pleasure is creating clothing for them to express themselves, never mind how contemptuous the adult generation - sexually and emotionally threatened - is of them. 
 
In 'Tea with the Birds', the worst crime of all is to be an outsider - wrong face, wrong clothes, wrong voice. And if you never raise your eyes from the ground, you will be labelled a snob by your neighbours. Yet when an isolated, lonely outcast meets a new tenant in the building of bedsits where she lives, she learns to spread her wings. 
 
In 'The G-SUS Gene', Oz 'Mad Dog' O'Shea is the Chosen One. Twenty years ago, mankind experienced near-total wipeout. Now only he is left to lead the quest for enlightenment. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these three short stories were previously published in the collection Jigs &amp; Reels.

Any Girl Can Be a CandyKiss Girl!/Tea with the Birds/The G-SUS Gene (Storycuts)

Yongshan is taking her son back to Licheng to visit relatives, and to see the town where she grew up. But when they get there, all she could find were desolate houses. Even the people on the street seemed not to recognise her. But then, in the rubble of her old neighbourhood, Yongshan finds something to grab hold of - a memento of the past. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Madwoman on the Bridge.

Home in May (Storycuts)

In 'A Matter of Time', Martin has inherited a house from his late aunt in New York, and his girlfriend Linda has moved over there with him. She finds herself feeling very lost, though, and wondering why she is there. She loves Martin, but will her new surroundings ever feel like home? 
 
In 'A New Beginning', Primrose is becoming bored of the tedium of farm life. She knows she will miss it - the farm and its surrounding hills and river have been her home for the past twenty-four years. But she is convinced that the bright lights and buzz of London is what she needs now for her new start in life. But a new friendship in the Yorkshire Dales forces her to reconsider whether a new beginning really means moving away. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these two short stories were previously published in the collection Summer Promise and Other Stories.

A Matter of Time/A New Beginning (Storycuts)

Set during the turmoil of the brutal Christian conversion of the Norse, this short story is the coming of age tale of Arne Thoreson. Thoreson, whose condemnation of Christianity is born out of respect for his lineage, is the son of Thore, feeder of ravens, and Ranveig, a Singer witch. When adversity befalls Orkney, Arne must not only assert his defiant rejection of Christianity, but take decisive action to thwart the Christ-Wolf, Olaf Trygvason. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series.

Raven Feeder (Storycuts)

Frederick Forsyth

When an anonymous man is brutally murdered on a London council estate the police race to gather evidence against his killers. They have two men in custody and they know that they are guilty. But when a brilliant QC intervenes in their defence a startling and unsettling justice is delivered. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection The Veteran.

The Veteran (Storycuts)

In 'Festival at Rowdean', Melanie has spent an exciting year abroad nannying for a family with two children, so her return home seems something of an anticlimax. Everything now seems so dull in her home village of Rowdean. She is mortified when the village committee then insist she be involved in the organisation of a village festival. But could this be just the thing to bring her home town back to life for her? 
 
In 'A Very Special Painting Class', among her other part-time jobs, Lisa works as a model for a painting class. Sitting completely still for long periods of time can be uncomfortable, but the money helps her to keep her flat and bring up her daughter Janie. But as one of the students begins to notice Lisa's features, could an unlikely friendship form? 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these two short stories were previously published in the collection Summer Promise and Other Stories.

Festival at Rowdean/A Very Special Painting Class (Storycuts)

RED GLOVES 1: DEVILRY - THE LONDON HORRORS 
The first collection contains stories set in London, where deceptively ordinary events like an evening in a pub or a night on the town have terrifying consequences. Here you'll find hauntings, revenges, murders, monstrosities, redemptions, and the dark hands of the urban night reaching out to seize the unwary. And to top it off, there's a short story featuring disreputable detectives Bryant &amp; May. 
 
RED GLOVES 2: INFERNAL - THE WORLD HORRORS 
The second collections comprises stories set in exotic locations around the world. Once more, deceptively ordinary events and occasions - a holiday in the Far East or a trip to the French Riviera, for example - cause terrifying fates to unfold. Here, innocent travellers find themselves confronting accidents, tragedies, murders, nightmares and epiphanies as they wander far from home. And again, there's a short story featuring those misfits from the Peculiar Crimes Unit, detectives Bryant &amp; May.

Red Gloves Vols. 1 & 2

Philip Van Doren Stern

Heartwarming and uplifting, the Christmas story that became a film loved by millions 
 
For seventy-five years, people the world over have fallen in love with Frank Capra's classic Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life. But few of those fans know that Capra's film was based on a short story by Philip Van Doren Stern, which came to Stern in a dream one night. 
 
Unable at first to find a publisher for his evocative tale about a man named George Pratt who ponders suicide until he receives an opportunity to see what the world would be like without him, Stern published the story in a small pamphlet and sent it out as his 1943 Christmas card. One of those 200 cards found its way into the hands of Frank Capra, who shared it with Jimmy Stewart, and the film that resulted became the holiday tradition cherished today.

The Greatest Gift

The heartwarming story that became the Christmas classic, It's A Wonderful Life

A collection of twelve darkly disturbing, twisted stories from the author of Roofworld, Spanky and the acclaimed Bryant and May novels. But don't expect to read about vampires, werewolves, or ghouls or ghosts, or dolls coming to life or brain-eating zombies. And as for lake-dwelling demons, malevolent spirits, misogynistic slashers or children locked in attics, you can forget them... 
Instead, here you have twelve stories of desperate people in seemingly ordinary situations - workers in offices, friends in pubs, husbands and wives in apartments and houses. All of them the most unlikely - and therefore the most likely - to find themselves trapped within their own personal, private, unimaginable, nerve-fracturing, bizarre and yes, deadly visions of Hell...

The Bureau of Lost Souls

Kate is right in the middle of last-minute marriage preparations. In just two weeks time, she will be wed to Hugh, a high-flying barrister, who is perfect for her - well, at least according to her parents. With the wedding so close, and so many influential friends of Hugh's to consider, it's no wonder Kate's nerves are a little strung out. And when Hugh suggests a weekend away, Kate's idea of getting a bit of peace and quiet is swiftly shattered when she realises they are heading to the boat belonging to Jonty and Muriel - two of Hugh's most braying and exuberant friends. But things get ever worse when there is a terrible surprise waiting for Kate on the boat, in the shape of an unexpected guest: an artist called Tod, who is a devastatingly painful blast from Kate's past. He has a stunning new girlfriend in tow, and Kate is forced to confront the reality of the life she has built for herself - and the memory of the girl she used to be. Is it too late for her to discover what she truly wants? 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Lisa &amp; Co.

Kate’s Wedding (Storycuts)

It’s impossible not to feel cheerful at Appleby Farm, so Freya is putting her doubts about her love life to the back of her mind for now. 
But when she discovers the truth about its financial troubles, Freya has to face up to reality: they might lose the farm. There’s only one person she can ask for help, and it’s the last thing she wants to do… Can a trip to Paris change the farm’s fortunes? 
As Appleby Farm’s fate hangs in the balance, Freya is surprised as her own dreams for the future take shape. But who will be at her side as her dreams become reality? 
Appleby Farm is an irresistibly charming novel told in four parts – following the adventures of Freya Moorcroft in love, friendship and a spot of farming. A Family Affair is part two. It features some friendly faces who appeared in Cathy's bestselling series, Ivy Lane, but it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone story. 
Each part of Appleby Farm contains 10 chapters. 
 
Praise for Cathy Bramley and Ivy Lane: 
‘Delightfully warm with plenty of twists and turns’ Trisha Ashley 
‘A perfect blend of the two greatest pleasures in life – love and gardening!’ Fern Britton 
'A witty, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy' Miranda Dickinson

Appleby Farm - Part Two

A Family Affair

Lee Child

This short read (20 pages) is perfect for a coffee break and includes the first three chapters from Lee Child's new thriller - Past Tense. 
Jack Reacher likes to head south for the winter, to stay warm: so just before Christmas he arrives in a small town in Southern California. But the weather there is not warm and dry, as it's supposed to be: he arrives in a freak blizzard. Reacher finds refuge in a snowed-in roadhouse with four other strangers stranded by the storm. Two of them are British military police, separated by the weather from the VIP they are detailed to protect. Can Reacher help them find their guy, or will an undercover assassin find him first? 
 
_________ 
Don't miss Reacher's newest adventure, no.26, Better off Dead! ***COMING SOON and AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW***

The Christmas Scorpion

A Jack Reacher Short Story

In 'A Place in the Sun', Platinum is the beach everyone aspires to be on - the exclusive Beach of Beaches. Only the most beautiful bodies are permitted to enter. The old, the plain and the overweight have to accept that they will never be allowed in, in spite of all the facelifts, boob jobs and lipos that money can buy. 
 
In 'Al and Christine's World of Leather', Christine and Candy meet at Weightwatchers, and are soon firm friends. The knitting coven they start turns into a thriving hand knitting business, with Candy the designer, and Christine the workforce. But when Candy's designs turn to leather, and Christine starts wondering what the big flap in the trousers is for, their friendship starts to unravel... 
 
In 'The Spectator', elderly Mr Meadows, a retired teacher - before his profession was abolished - likes to take his morning walk past the school, ignoring the signs saying SCHOOL: NO UNACCOMPANIED ADULTS, because he innocently likes to watch the children playing. Surely there can't be any harm in that? 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these short stories were previously published in the collection Jigs &amp; Reels.

A Place in the Sun/Al and Christine’s World of Leather/The Spectator (Storycuts)

In 'Auto-da-fé', a man's car defines him. Until the Rep of the Year, in his smart blue BMW, goes head-to- head in a showdown with V-man in his smug black Volvo saloon. But who is the real loser in this game? 
 
In 'Free Spirit', a wanderer, a party animal, goes wherever the wind blows, going home to bed with one person after another, old or young, healthy or corrupt, male or female. And then moves on, without regrets, without ever looking back... 
 
In 'Fule's Gold', Mr Fisher has taught at St Swithin's for over forty years, but is resigned to the total lack of imagination of the boys in his creative writing class. Until the day he opens one exercise book and discovers the Holy Grail of literature: an essay of total freshness and originality. But is it just too good to have been written by a mere schoolboy? 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these three stories were previously published in the collection Jigs &amp; Reels.

Auto-da-fé/Free Spirit/Fule’s Gold (Storycuts)

It's not always fun playing the monster: after all, all you are is sword-fodder. But for the desperate, the misfit, the loner and the freak, dressing up in costume for the regular Saturday fantasy role-playing game in the woods is more satisfying than any reality. It's only make-believe, isn't it? It's not about life or death...or is it? 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Jigs &amp; Reels.

Waiting for Gandalf (Storycuts)

Weeping Willow was a place that survived by serving long-distance drivers, with petrol, food and girls. The truck driver was badly shaken as he arrived there in the dark and rain, but more shaken when he left. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Madwoman on the Bridge.

Weeping Willow (Storycuts)

A teacher loses one of her pupils somewhere in the London Underground. 
A catwalk model reveals the grisly secret of looking good. 
Slacker friends are forced into action over an accidental murder. 
A bomb's aftershock is felt fifty years later. 
Sex toys become instruments of fate. 
The suburbs are besieged, star scandals are revealed, epic tragedy turns to triumph and a cry for help flares briefly in the night... 
 
Black comedy, high farce, dark revelations...they all go to make up Christopher Fowler's mind-blowing collection of immoral tales.

The Devil in Me

THE BRAND NEW JACK REACHER STAND-ALONE SHORT STORY THAT SEES REACHER GOING DOWN UNDER FOR THE FIRST TIME - BUT POSSIBLY NOT THE LAST. It's a short read, but perfect for a coffee break. 
 
Jack Reacher, ex-military drifter of no fixed abode, is stalked and tracked down by an FBI agent. She tells him that in a house raid in Sydney, Australian law enforcement found a list. There were four people on it, including him. The other three are dead. 
 
 Hours later, Reacher is in the air, on his way to Sydney. What was the evil buried twenty-five years ago, that has now resurfaced? Will Reacher be able to find the killers, before they find him? 
 
_________ 
 
Don't miss Reacher's newest adventure, no.26, Better off Dead! ***COMING SOON and AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW***

The Fourth Man

A Jack Reacher short story

Rachel Joyce

It is Christmas Eve. Binny has four hours to make Christmas happen and she couldn’t feel less like wishing glad tidings of good will to all men – least of all to Oliver. It is raining, her house is falling apart, the streets are jammed with people and it is all Oliver’s fault. Darting into a shop to escape a conversation, Binny finds herself in the sort of place she would never normally visit. But in amongst the shelves is a surprising source of peace. 
A beautiful gem of a short story from Rachel Joyce, bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Perfect The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy.

Faraway Smell of Lemon

From the bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

In 'Goddess Peak', Miaoyue and Li Yong were almost the last two passengers aboard the steamboat to Goddess Peak - them and Li Yong's friend Mr Cui. Miaoyue found Mr Cui taller and better built than she'd imagined, and also a little younger and more handsome. For some reason, this irritated her. 
 
In 'The Q of Hearts', when the boy found the Queen of Hearts missing from his deck of cards, he immediately assumed that someone had stolen it. It was 1969, and those cards were his only toy. He searched everywhere for a new one - but only found things to frighten him. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these two short stories were previously published in the collection Madwoman on the Bridge.

Goddess Peak/The Q of Hearts (Storycuts)

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