Showing results by narrator "Esther Wane" in All Categories

Lady Holme—a person, a place, an idyllic setting—the home of Lord and Lady Hazlett. It is also a nightmare haunt of dangerous secrets, both ancient and modern. It's the autumn of 1920 in beautiful southern Hampshire, and the year is fading away. As leaves begin to fall over the landscape, one of the Hazlett party is mercilessly also made to fall, dropping like a leaf before its time. There's no doubt it's murder; it can be nothing else. Why, though? And where will this tragedy lead?

Returning from University, Ellen is disenchanted with her chosen career. Leaving home wasn't what she wanted. She missed Clover Springs, in particular a certain older man. Could she convince her family her true vocation lay as a wife and mother?

Amsterdam, at the turn of the 18th century. For as long as she can remember, Dorothea Graff has lived in service to her mother, Maria Sibyilla Merian, one of the greatest naturalists in Europe. But as she collects insects and colours illustrations for Maria's world-famous publications, Dorothea longs for a life that is truly her own. When Maria becomes entranced by the plant and insect life of Suriname, she is determined to record it for herself, taking Dorothea with her. All the family's savings are ploughed into the dangerous expedition, but greatness is never achieved without sacrifice.

Jess Bright, single mum and journalist, feels her life has stalled. So when she's offered a writing job in Paris for the summer, she leaps at the chance to go. Hasn't she always felt that she left a piece of her heart in the city years before? Her subject is the iconic artist Adelaide Fox, whose personal life has been steeped in scandal and intrigue. Now approaching eighty, she's ready to tell her side of the story - and serve up some scalding-hot revenge in the process.

The fire crackles gently in the grate as my partner Finn fills my glass with red wine. Looking into his sparkling blue eyes, I feel a tug on my heart. Finn is my boss, and no one can know how hard we’ve fallen for each other. We thought this lighthouse keeper’s cottage on the wild Irish coast would be the perfect secret getaway. Then there’s a knock at the door…

How does an immortal deal with death? What kind of person makes the best companion? Why does the Doctor say he and Freud "got on very well"? How do the Daleks and Cybermen reflect concerns about losing our humanity? And what can looking at an ancient Time Lord teach us about real human nature? Doctor Who Psychology: A Madman with a Box explores these questions and many more.

Idonea knows the only thing her human blood is good for is its role in strengthening the Star Elves when the comet returns every two hundred and fifty years. Her whole life has been meant for the moment she marries Olaug and finally gets it right, and not even the king can stop her perfect marriage. The day Idonea was chosen to be part of the Cometa Couple, King Nyrunn was condemned to watching the love of his life spend the rest of hers in the arms of someone else. And he is powerless to stop it.

As a roving merchant—or peddler, as many call her—Avery lives a life of freedom that few ever experience. She can navigate the enchanted landscapes of six kingdoms, and she’s an expert at finding unique items and matching them with the right customer. If her traveling lifestyle means she doesn’t have any close friends, at least she can help communities in need. And it’s worth it not to be tied down. She might be alone, but that doesn’t mean she’s lonely.

Growing up in 1970s Northern Ireland isn't easy. Under the roof of her stern and devout adoptive mother, Eileen Duffy, Angela's life is confined by rules and the tension of a community split between green and orange. In a place where identity is inherited and choices are few, Angela longs to carve out a future of her own.

Hotel Portofino has been open for only a few weeks, but already the problems are mounting for its owner Bella Ainsworth. Her high-class guests are demanding and hard to please. And she’s being targeted by a scheming and corrupt local politician, who threatens to drag her into the red-hot cauldron of Mussolini’s Italy.

Hannah and Lizzie have never been close, but following the recent death of their mother, the sisters have agreed to put their differences to one side and go on holiday together. But when they and their families arrive at the remote house they’ve rented in the south of France, they find a dead body in the swimming pool. The place is soon swarming with police, then reporters and photographers get hold of the story. Finally, the news spreads online, putting them at the center of a media storm.

Tatiana, a half-demon/half-human, was orphaned as a child by a horrific war between the demon and human kingdoms. A human Duke took her in, but only so that he could take advantage of her special skill: Tatiana can speak Shadowtongue, the native language of demons, unspeakable by anyone devoid of demon blood. Despite the abuse she receives from the Duke's family, she works hard as an interpreter between the kingdoms, in hopes of maintaining peace and winning her family's affection.

A wave lifts the stern of the boat, rigging groans in protest and a crash comes from down below, as the wails of the cargo rise above the howl of the storm. It's a wild Christmas Day on the rugged Northern Irish coast. But there's no time for turkey and pud with the family for Detectives Harvey and Birch. DS Aaron Birch leans into the wind and driving sleet. Thick, scudding clouds make the streets of Lisburn almost as dark as early evening. Then he gets the tip-off. Smugglers coming into a boatyard in Bangor.

Sue Hearn is planting a herb garden on the site of her grandfather's old greenhouse. She's spent the morning digging up all sorts of odds and ends already. But she doesn't expect this grisly find. A skull. Could it be the remains of her mother, Monica, who went missing thirty years ago? Sue's father, in hospital with dementia, insinuates that a police officer was involved in her mother's disappearance. But can he be trusted?

Nic always hated clubbing. She only went out that night because she'd promised a friend. She wakes up, naked and bound in an abandoned cottage in the middle of nowhere. Dappled light comes in through a dirty window. Her body is covered in cuts. Across the room her friend groans in pain. A shadow passes the window. He's back. He picks up a knife. He begins to cut her friend. In that moment of bloody frenzy, Nic wrenches free and runs. She's finally safe. But this is just the beginning.

Child genius and budding inventor Frances is in trouble. Her dreams of scientific glory were dashed when her first big experiment nearly destroyed her whole town. So when a prestigious society invites her to their symposium, Frances sees it as a chance to redeem herself. On the way there, her train is hijacked, and she and her friend Luca flee into the Black Forest. Seeking shelter with a group of orphans, Frances learns the rules of the woods: Never travel alone. Never make a sound. Because something hunts in the shadows, something with glowing eyes and sharp teeth.

This collection investigates the origins of our most intriguing old-fashioned superstitions, many of which we still find ourselves abiding by today. Hundreds of the beliefs passed down through the generations have their foundations in our ancestors' efforts to ward off evil, which they blamed for hardship, illness, and injustice in times when life was, as often as not, "nasty, brutish and short."

This audiobook features opening arguments followed by two rounds of reply between two moral philosophers on opposing sides of the abortion debate. In the opening essays, Kate Greasley and Christopher Kaczor lay out what they take to be the best case for and against abortion rights. In the ensuing dialogue, they engage with each other’s arguments, and each responds to criticisms fielded by the other. The result gives listeners a window into how moral philosophers argue about the contentious issue of abortion rights, and an in-depth analysis of the compelling arguments on both sides.

Catastrophically ill-suited for each other, and forever straddling a line between relative calm and explosive confrontation, Neve and her husband, Edwyn, live together in London. For the moment they have reached a place of peace in their relationship, but past battles have left scars. As Neve recalls the decisions that brought her to Edwyn, she describes other loves and other debts—from her bullying father and her self-involved mother, to a musician she struggled to forget.

London, 1953, Coronation year—but not the Coronation of Elizabeth II. Thirteen years have passed since a Grand Alliance between Great Britain and Germany was formalized. George VI and his family have been murdered, and Edward VIII rules as King. Yet, in practice, all power is vested in Alfred Rosenberg, Britain’s Protector. The role and status of women is Rosenberg’s particular interest. Rose Ransom belongs to the elite caste of women and works at the Ministry of Culture, rewriting literature to correct the views of the past. But now she has been given a special task.