The Thornhill Secret


Book Description

She heard a door closing and then the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer. She tried to control her breathing as she hid. The person was getting closer to her hiding place. 1925 Amidst the Ossipee mountains in New Hampshire a gunshot is heard in the distance. A few days later a young woman is dead. 1950 At Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the King and Queen are enjoying their summer holiday away from the hustle and bustle of London. During their visit the Queen's pearl-drop earrings go missing. A few weeks later the housekeeper is found dead. 1999 As a writer of historical novels, Victoria Green, is very good at research. A little too good, perhaps, to suit at least one keeper of the Thornhill Secret, who apparently will stop at nothing to end Victoria's prying into the Thornhill family. Victoria is the descendent of Todd Thornhill, a department store magnate who built the magnificent Thornhill Manor, one of Victoria's favourite holiday spots. On her most recent visit to her great-aunt, Elizabeth Thornhill, the heir to the Manor, she is put in her great-aunt Emily's old room. While looking through some bookshelves, Victoria discovers a hidden box that contains Emily's journal from 1925. Victoria is enthralled when she reads the journal, packed with Emily's vivid descriptions of life on the estate. The journal hints that Emily's untimely death was anything but an accident. Intrigued, Victoria, begins a search to unravel the Thornhill Secret. What really happened to Emily Thornhill, and who was responsible for her death?




The Secret River


Book Description

'Winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize and Australian Book Industry Awards, Book of the Year. After a childhood of poverty and petty crime in the slums of London, William Thornhill is transported to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. With his wife Sal and children in tow, he arrives in a harsh land that feels at first like a de...




Sarah Thornhill


Book Description

The Orange Prize–Winning author of The Secret River delivers “brilliant fiction and illuminating personal history” in the finale of her Australian trilogy (The Independent). With The Secret River, Kate Grenville dug into her own family’s history to create an unflinching tale of frontier violence in early Australia. She continued her bold exploration of Australia’s beginnings in The Lieutenant. Now Sarah Thornhill brings this acclaimed trilogy to an emotionally explosive conclusion. Sarah is the youngest daughter of William Thornhill, an ex-convict from London. Unknown to Sarah, her father has built his fortune on the blood of Aboriginal people. With a fine stone house and plenty of money, Thornhill has reinvented himself, teaching his daughter to never look back or ask about the past. Instead, Sarah fixes her eyes on handsome Jack Langland, whom she’s loved since she was a child. Their romance seems idyllic, but the ugly secret in Sarah’s family is poised to ambush them both. Driven by the captivating voice of the illiterate Sarah—at once headstrong, sympathetic, curious, and refreshingly honest—this is an unforgettable portrait of a passionate woman caught up in a historical moment that’s left an indelible mark on the present.




The Lieutenant


Book Description

A young astronomer in colonial Australia faces tragedy on the ground in this follow-up to the award-winning The Secret River—“A triumph. Read it at once” (The Sunday Times, UK). A stunning follow-up to her Commonwealth Writers’ Prize-winning book, The Secret River, Grenville’s The Lieutenant is a gripping story of friendship, self-discovery, and the power of language set along the unspoiled shores of 1788 New South Wales, Australia. As a boy, Daniel Rooke was an outsider. Ridiculed in school for his intellect and misunderstood by his parents, he finds a path for himself in the British Navy—and in his love for astronomy. As a young lieutenant, Daniel joins a voyage to Australia. And while his countrymen struggle to control their cargo of convicts and communicate with nearby Aboriginal tribes, Daniel constructs an observatory to chart the stars and begin the work he prays will make him famous. Out on his isolated point, Daniel becomes involved with the local Aborigines, forging an intimate connection with one girl that will change the course of his life. But when his compatriots come into conflict with the indigenous population, Daniel must turn away from the stars and declare his loyalties on the ground.




The Hideaway


Book Description

‘The Hideaway by Pam Smy is a work of art. Smy is the genius writer and illustrator of the stunning Thornhill. Smy takes children’s books to another level. Highly recommend.’ - David Walliams The wonderful long-awaited second novel from Pam Smy, celebrated author and illustrator of Thornhill. The Hideaway tells the story of a boy, Billy McKenna, who runs away from a difficult situation at home and takes refuge in an overgrown graveyard. While hiding there he meets an elderly man who is tending the graves in preparation for a day in November when something magical is set to happen. The book is written in two alternating narratives, both different aspects of the same story. One thread tells of Billy's experience of hiding away in the graveyard, his mixed-up feelings and emotions, and the supernatural events he eventually witnesses. The other tells of his mother's situation at home and the police search for Billy. Covering themes of family, childhood, separation and reunion, domestic violence and doing the right thing, this is an important and beautiful book for middle grade readers right up to adults. Billy's story is illustrated throughout with tonal and textured black and white drawings, until the event on All Souls' Eve, when the text gives way to a series of double page images of the supernatural happening. The Hideaway is a compelling, exciting and emotional story that will stay with you long after you finish the last page.




Searching for the Secret River


Book Description

'Searching for the Secret River is the extraordinary story of how Kate Grenville came to write her award-winning novel, The Secret River. It all began with her ancestor Solomon Wiseman transported to New South Wales for the term of his natural life who later became a wealthy man and built his colonial mansion on the Hawkesbury. Increasingly obse...




Rescued By the Spy: A Steamy Hidden Disguise Regency Suspenseful Romance


Book Description

Enjoy this steamy hidden disguise romance starter by International Bestselling regency author Laura A. Barnes ... Deception is still deception no matter what form it takes … She deceived him for vengeance. He wanted to protect her from harm. Can they overcome their lies and deceit to trust in their love? Raina LeClair’s life ended when her family was murdered. Her only mission was to seek revenge against the evil pirate responsible for their deaths. Through many disguises she sets a path of destruction, putting her own life at risk. Raina’s newest masquerade landed her back into the hands of the man she had previously kidnapped. When his touch awakened her to the pleasures of passion, Raina realizes she wants to live again. With her life now in danger Raina must trust the only man who could destroy her heart. Can Raina open her heart to love again? Charles Mallory worked undercover as a spy for the Crown. After being kidnapped and left for dead Charles was always two steps behind in the quest to find his lady kidnapper. When his beloved England became threatened by a treason plot he would go to any lengths to unravel the conspiracy. Only to discover the lady who not only held him hostage, but stole his heart, mixed up in the crossfire. Unable to convince Raina of the danger she was truly in, Charles decided to kidnap her. While protecting her, Charles could no longer deny his desires. With every kiss he fell deeper in love with Raina. Can Charles convince Raina to trust him with her life? Rescued By the Spy is the second book in the Laura A. Barnes’s historical Romancing the Spies series. For fans of Elizabeth Essex, Elizabeth Ellen Carter, or M.A. Nichols, this is a suspenseful drama with many twists and turns set in Regency England. Read Rescued By the Spy to enjoy Laura’s latest romantic adventure today!




Soldier's Christmas Secrets


Book Description

A special ops soldier presumed dead must blow his cover to save his family in this intriguing story from USA TODAY bestselling author Laura Scott, part of the Justice Seekers series. When a plane crash left special ops soldier Hawk Jacobson with amnesia, all he knows is that the plane was sabotaged and he has a target on his back. His survival depends on letting everyone—including his wife Jillian Wade—believe he’s dead. Until gunmen come after Jillian and the daughter he never knew existed. Can Jillian help him regain his memory in time to expose a killer? Experience more action-packed mystery and suspense in the rest of the Justice Seekers series by Laura Scott: Soldier’s Christmas Secrets Guarded by the Soldier Wyoming Mountain Escape From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.




Secrets, Spies and 7/7


Book Description

On July 7th 2005 London suffered the worst terrorist attack in its history. Despite one of the largest police investigations ever to take place in Britain, to date not a single person has been found guilty for the atrocity that killed over 50 people. Using unsealed court documents and declassified intelligence agency files Secrets, Spies and 7/7 takes you on a journey through the labyrinth of disinformation about the bombings. Drawing on over 7 years of research, Tom Secker shows how the official version of events, which blamed 4 British Muslim men, is a mess of contradictions, errors and fantasies. This unique investigation also explores the 'War on Terror' context in which the attacks took place and shows how an alternative look at the evidence suggests some very different culprits to those blamed by the official story.




Runes and Their Secrets


Book Description

Runes and Their Secrets is a collection of articles written mainly in English by recognized scholars, examining a wide range of runological topics. The articles originated as papers read at an international runic symposium that was held in 2000. Jelling Runes embraces Danish runic inscriptions from the first to the sixteenth century, including such topics as the names of the runes, their chronology, literacy, runic coins, etc. There are also articles on the oldest runic research and runic magic. Several of the articles present brand new knowledge, for example about runic encryption of military and erotic secrets from the middle of the sixteenth century. (Formerly titled: Jelling Runes)