Showing results by narrator "Ciaran Saward" in All Categories

Seth Beauman can’t sleep. He stays up late, calling strangers from his phone book, hoping to make a connection, while his wife, Maeve, sleeps upstairs. A crossed wire finds a suicidal Hadley Serf on the phone to Seth, thinking she is talking to The Samaritans. But a seemingly harmless late-night hobby turns into something more for Seth and for Hadley, and soon their late-night talks are turning into daytime meet-ups. And then this dysfunctional love story turns into something altogether darker when Seth brings Hadley home.... And someone is watching....

'Wise, comprehensive and brilliantly succinct' OWEN MATTHEWS, author of Stalin's Children When Joseph Stalin died in 1953, he had been the unchallenged leader of the Soviet Union for over twenty years, having presided over the ruthless modernisation of the early 1930s, the Great Purges later in the decade, the near-catastrophe and ultimate victory of World War II, and the country’s postwar emergence as a superpower. He was surrounded by a cult that made him seem godlike; no successors were in sight. His death was bound to be a deeply unsettling event, both in the Soviet Union and elsewhere.

When a parish priest is brutally murdered in cold blood, a rural community is left in shock–and fear. New to the Vale of the White Horse, Detective Sergeant Mark Turpin discovers the murder bears the hallmark of a vicious killer who shows no remorse for his victim, and leaves no trace behind. After a second priest is killed, his broken body bearing similar ritualistic abuse, the police are confronted by a horrifying truth–there is a serial killer at large with a disturbing vendetta.

When David Bowie died on 10th January 2016, it seemed the whole world was united in mourning. His greatest hits were sung tearfully in pubs up and down Britain, garlands of flowers were left at the Aladdin Sane mural in his old stomping ground of Brixton and tributes poured in from a galaxy of stars. To many of us, Bowie was so much more than a pop idol. But why? In Why Bowie Matters, Professor Will Brooker answers that question persuasively, as both a fan and an academic. 

Science and laughs combine in this out-of-this-world adventure from best-selling author Christopher Edge. You might think that this story is going to be an intergalactic adventure filled with UFOs, black holes, killer robots and some very foul-smelling aliens. And you'd be right. But it's mostly about a boy called Jake, his embarrassing dad and the mind-boggling question...are we really alone in the universe?

In the 1970s the US military believed they could create a ‘super soldier’ - one who could use psychic powers to walk through walls, disarm the enemy through telepathy or kill a goat by staring at it. The brain behind these techniques was Michael Murphy, one of the founders of New Age spiritualism in the hippy enclaves of San Francisco. But Murphy’s primary goal was to use these powers in sport to create a supreme athlete capable of extraordinary feats.

Ravi Gupta’s dark secret is unravelling. After years of hiding a dangerous portal discovered through foolish magic, the regretful academic worries his brilliant student has recklessly used it to travel to an alien world. And though he’s loath to go back, he stealthily opens a passage and journeys to the perilous land, desperate to save the missing scholar.

Meet the Tobin family. When Joy's children receive the news that she has only days to live, they rush to her side, bringing with them all of the dysfunction and hurt they have been carrying since their childhoods. Each of them is at a crossroads in their lives - but there's one more secret about their mother they need to learn. Will they finally be able to forgive their mother and, in doing so, face their futures together?

Fionn Hurley feels different. Worried his nightmares might be real, the twelve-year-old has visions where he encounters strange creatures and wakes up covered in mysterious marks that heal in a flash. But when a lion cub appears beside his reflection, the curious boy travels to a mystical land… and discovers he’s a Lionborn with powerful magic.

When the evil Crow King steals Charlie’s eggs, Charlie must summon all his courage and creativity to outsmart the wicked king and save his siblings.

A robbery rocks the entire household, and everyone is a suspect. Twelve-year-old trainee housemaid Alice and reclusive young aristocrat Theo are determined to solve the case. As they investigate upstairs and downstairs to track down the culprit, the mystery deepens, and danger looms closer.

Danielle Ortega works nights, singing at whatever dive bar will offer her a gig. She gets by, keeping to herself. Sam Walker gambles and drinks and can't keep his hands to himself. Now he's tied up in a shoe closet with a dent in his head that matches Danielle's broken ashtray. The man in 731 has been dead for two days and his dog has not stopped barking. Two doors down, the couple who always smokes on the window ledge will mysteriously fall. Upstairs, in the penthouse, Mr Balliol sees it all.

Perfect for fans of One Day and Talking at Night. Every morning, Sophie boards the same train. Every morning, she spots him – tall, unreadable, always with a novel in hand…often the same one she is reading. Soon, their commute becomes a silent exchange of titles, a game only they seem to be...

Welcome to Turtle Cove. A luxury resort surrounded by pristine sea and the dense beauty of the jungle, it is the perfect escape from the stresses of life and work. For couples Lou and Adam, Eliza and Noah, a few days spent relaxing on the beach, while their kids are happily distracted, is exactly what they need. But appearances can be deceiving. There's a strange tension brewing at the resort, with relations between the hotel and the locals threatening to spill over into violence. This is nothing though compared to the strained atmosphere between the two families.

Harley Hitch is back with another inventive adventure! When the circus comes to town, Harley's curiosity gets the better of her - and she accidentally breaks a cabinet that makes things magically disappear! Soon after, everyone realises that the Moon has gone missing. Time is speeding up, wildlife at night is getting disorientated by the darkness and there's no more tide. Is Harley to blame? Can she sort out the mess before it's too late?

Russia is the largest country in the world, with the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons. Over a thousand years this multifaceted nation of shifting borders has been known as Rus, Muscovy, the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. Thirty years ago, it was reinvented as the Russian Federation. Russia is not an enigma, but its past is violent, tragic, sometimes glorious, and certainly complicated. Like the rest of us, the Russians constantly rewrite their history. They too omit episodes of national disgrace in favour of patriotic anecdotes, sometimes more rooted in myth than reality.

What actually is AI? Will it take over the world? And one day, will it tidy your bedroom...? In this beginner's guide, learn everything you need to know about AI, from how it helps us discover epic stuff up in space or under the sea, whether it will help you build your very own dinosaur, and why, it won't actually help you write your homework!

Kitty's excited to be going to the zoo. Her big sister Clara thinks it will be boring! But when they get there, there's so much going on! They get soaked by an elephant, see a funny monkey fill his cheeks with food and find out what bats use for a blanket. But whose pictures of the animals are best, Kitty's drawings or Clara's photos?

Britain, AD 75. Quintus, long exiled from his people, has travelled great odysseys in the retinue of a powerful Roman. Though a citizen of nowhere, is a man of reason, fluent in many languages. Olwen, imperious tribal royalty, is rooted in her native land – a volatile warrior, fiercely attached to the natural world. Given away by her father as part of a peace treaty, Olwen flees during the night, taking Quintus with her. Hunted by an army, the two make their way across the country, living off the land, heading for the western shore.

Mouse’s new house seems perfect, with just enough room for his things. But who’s that growling by the piano? And who’s that sliding down the banister? Uh-oh! There are some VERY BIG animals living in the house. What a squish-squash-squeeze!