Showing titles in Small Town & Rural

Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee - and, now, a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff, expecting nothing more than a quiet ride. But now a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter's new school, plus a kidnapped rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny.

Parker Hayes—a former true-crime podcaster turned aspiring cafe owner—thought swapping the hustle of big-city life for the charm of Magnolia Grove would be a piece of cake… or at least a slice of pie. But when a high-society gala at the historic Beauregard Mansion ends with a murder and the theft of the priceless Magnolia Rose necklace, Parker's peaceful plans quickly go up in steam.

Twenty six short stories about the eccentric inhabitants of Meridian Cliffs, a small wind-battered town on England's South Coast. Welcome to Meridian Cliffs. Located at exactly 0 degrees 0 minutes west, and 0 degrees 0 minutes east, it's where the Greenwich Meridian meets the Channel, and time stands poised at absolute zero. But due to ever-increasing coastal erosion, it's getting smaller every day.

When Grace tries to steal Michael's cab in the middle of a torrential downpour, their chemistry is instant. And after one unforgettable night in his hotel room, it looks like life is finally going her way. But in the morning a shocking revelation rips her world apart, and she has to leave him for good without saying goodbye. A year later, Grace is living quietly in her small home town when she sees Michael storming toward her. He demands answers, so she tells him exactly why she left that morning.

When Stella lands a job working at Titheridge Farm, she's thrilled. Stella plans a weekend at the farm for the family and invites five VIP guests, in a bid to win them over. Forty-eight hours later, someone is dead. Trapped by the weather and all with secrets of their own, one of the partygoers is lying and one isn't who they say they are.

Westleham Village, May 1948 The villagers of Westleham are excited for the first village cricket match since the end of the war. But Martha Miller has more pressing concerns - namely, the sudden reappearance of her husband, Stan, missing for two years and acting as though nothing has happened. Martha doesn’t know what to feel, especially now that his return threatens her growing fondness for the kind-hearted village vicar, Luke. Yet she’s not the only one unsettled by Stan’s return…

Sixteen-year-old Billy and his brother Boyd are fascinated by an elusive wolf that has been marauding his family's ranch. Billy captures the animal - but rather than kill it, sets out impulsively for the mountains of Mexico to return it to where it came from. Billy returns, finding himself and his world have irrevocably changed. His loss of innocence has come at a price, and once again the border beckons with its desolate beauty and cruel promise.

After a tragic accident claims the life of one of her children, Marie Egide is desperate to carve out a fresh start for her family. With her husband and their three surviving children, Marie travels to New Hampshire, where she plans to sell a family estate and then, just maybe, they’ll be able to heal from their grief. Marie’s plans are thwarted when she realizes a war veteran known by locals as “the river witch” is living in a cabin on the property, which she claims was a gift from Marie’s grandfather. If Davina refuses to move on, Marie won’t be able to either.

Since the death of her beloved father, Isla Marlowe has felt the need to do something to honour his memory; something meaningful that will bring joy to others and repay the kindness of a stranger who changed their lives. She’s got the perfect solution, but she’s worried not everyone will understand. Aidan Kennedy and his husband, Jase, are desperate to start a family of their own, but finding the right woman to help them is difficult and some people don’t think they should even try. So when Isla offers them the chance to fulfil their dream, they can’t believe their wish is about to come true.

After a difficult break-up, Poppy is keen to put the past behind her and what’s better than some relaxing time with her aunt in the picturesque Cornish village of West Par? But life at her aunt Flora’s Dogs’ Home is anything but relaxing. When a poor little pup is stranded at the gates, Poppy takes them for a check up at the local vet, hoping against hope they'll be fine. And there she meets Mack: the vet who is so charming and experienced with the dogs, but selfish and – dare she say it – money-grabbing with his clients.But underneath that cold exterior, she's sure there's more to the story.

A woman's death sees rumours flood the island community – as Inspector Jimmy Perez's life is about to change forever. Wild Fire is the eighth Shetland mystery from Ann Cleeves. A new English family have moved to Shetland, eager to give their autistic son a better life. But when a young...

High up on a mountain, young Clay-Boy Spencer joins his father and eight uncles to hunt the mythical white deer. What he finds on the mountainside changes his life - and marks him for a special destiny. Years later, Clay-Boy is the first in his family to get the chance to go to college; but success as an adult is much more complicated and bittersweet than the legendary success of Clay-Boy’s childhood quest.

It was supposed to be an innocent night, celebrating my brother’s birthday. Nothing was supposed to go wrong. We’d vowed to be on our best behavior after all.... But it only took one rowdy night with my brothers to flip my world upside down. One unlucky encounter saddled us with a family curse and the promise of doomed relationships. I laughed it off immediately. “Yeah, right,” I thought. “A love curse. Ha!” Boy, was I wrong.

Emmeline Ashworth has never known real want. As the grocer’s daughter, she has warm meals, a solid roof, and a father who dotes on her. She’s always understood she is luckier than most, but nothing prepares her for the day a half-starved young woman runs into the shop, desperate for help. The girl – Lily - is bruised and ragged from the slums that sprawl at the edge of town and opens Emmie’s eyes to the harsh realities of life for some in Wakefield.

Trisha’s bestselling Christmas book will have you hooked from start to finish – the perfect read as those cold winter nights draw in. Christmas has always been a sad time for young widow Holly Brown. So when she's asked to look after a remote house on the Lancashire moors, the opportunity to...

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly abridged and remastered stories are now available to download for the first...

A journalist working on a story. Now his murder is a headline. Inspector Jimmy Perez is called in to investigate in Dead Water, the fifth Shetland mystery from Ann Cleeves. Now a major BBC One drama, Shetland, starring Douglas Henshall. When the body of a journalist is found in a traditional...

Appleby Farm was originally published as a four-part serial. This is the complete story in one package. Freya Moorcroft has wild red hair, mischievous green eyes, a warm smile and a heart of gold. She’s been happy working at the café round the corner from Ivy Lane allotments and her romance...

*COMING SOON AS A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN AND STARRING JAKE GYLLENHAAL AND PHOEBE DYNEVOR* 'You're going to fall in love, Tate. And when you do, it's going to change your life forever...' When New York architect Tate Donovan arrives in Cape Cod to design his best...

Bella's living her dream life, running a beautiful, rural French B&B and has finally put her past behind her. But when her husband suddenly asks for a divorce, everything changes. Forced to abandon everything she'd built before, she finds herself moving to the beautiful town of Versailles, where she takes a job working in a hotel, and moves into a chaotic house share. At first, it doesn't feel like a problem that she can't seem to convince her young housemates she's older than them – it's quite nice to pretend she's in her 20s again.