The King's General

Seeking peace of mind, Lady Donna de Colomb flees the stews of London and the Restoration court for remote Navaron. There she finds the boundless passion her spirit craves - daring to love the pirate hunted by all Cornwall.

Daphne du Maurier's The Scapegoat is a classic tale of stolen identity. As dark as it is witty, it introduces listeners to the gloomy and despondent character of John the Englishman. When by chance, John comes face to face with his French doppelgänger, Jean, his bewilderment is quickly replaced with envy. Realising that Jean is in possession of everything he lacks but has always desired, he assumes the identity of his look-a-like, leaving his old, tedious life behind.

Mary Anne knew the grinding heel of poverty, and determined it would never grind her again. With beauty, brains, ambition, and the glittering decadence of Regency London to sustain her, she chose the only route that could take a cockney girl to the top, as mistress to the Royal Duke of York. But soon she provoked a scandal that rocked the country, placed the Duke on trial before Parliament, and risked losing Mary Anne everything.

The Brodricks of Clonmere gain great wealth by harnessing the power of Hungry Hill and extracting the treasure it holds. The Donovans, the original owners of Clonmere Castle, resent the Brodricks' success, and consider the great house and its surrounding land theirs by rights. For generations the feud between the families has simmered, always threatening to break into violence...

Dick Young stays in his friend Professor Magnus Lane's house in Cornwall, on the understanding he will be a guinea-pig for a new drug that Magnus has developed. As a result of the experiment he is transported back to fourteenth century Cornwall.

With talented parents comes the burden of continuing the line of accomplishment, as Maria, Niall and Celia know all too well. The siblings subsequently formed a bond so profound that their lives constantly have a tremendous impact on those around them, this includes Maria’s husband, Charles - a gentleman who has been sucked into the parasitic world of the Delaney’s. 

Ambrose Ashley, Philip's cousin, guardian, and god, married Rachel in Italy and died there. Jealous of his marriage and grief-stricken by his death, Philip prepares to meet his cousin's widow with hatred in his heart.

Daphne du Maurier's young heroine meets the charming Maxim de Winter and despite her youth, they marry and go to Manderley, his home in Cornwall. There, the sinister housekeeper Mrs Danvers and the mystery she keeps alive of his first wife Rebecca - said to have drowned at sea - threatens to overwhelm the marriage.

Each story in The Rendezvous and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier explores a different human emotion. Narrated by Edward de Souza, this Audible Exclusive has something that will appeal to any mood....

Armino Fabbio is a simple Italian courier until an old woman is murdered. He discovers that the woman was his family’s servant a long time ago and returns to his family home in Ruffano to investigate. However, his return home isn’t a happy one as he discovers that his birthplace is haunted by the ghost of his brother. The spectre of a sinister Duke, otherwise known as ‘The Falcon’ also resides in the house. But as dark family secrets and history begin to resurface, how will a small-time businessman cope, and what will he learn? 

A dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames. The regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open on an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a little child. Hours later the dead girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can it be explained by science? An exquisitely crafted multilayered mystery brimming with folklore, suspense and romance as well as with the urgent scientific curiosity of the Darwinian age, Once Upon a River is as richly atmospheric as Setterfield’s best seller The Thirteenth Tale.

Richard has never amounted to anything in his father’s eyes, and, having been worn down, he eventually decides to take his own life. While Richard is standing on a bridge, about to take the final step, a man, Jake, reaches out to him and changes his mind. Richard finds that he can openly talk to this man and makes the decision to go travelling with him. However, when their close friendship is brought to an abrupt end, Richard must find his way by himself. He moves to Paris, where he meets Hesta, with whom he has a passionate relationship.

Julius is a bleak and disturbing tale of one man’s unstoppable rise to the top and the shocking events that ensure he gets there. A dark twist on the typical rags-to-riches storyline, Julius follows the life of a young and ambitious French peasant (Julius Lévy) from his squalid life on the banks of the Seine to the vast majesty and wonders of London. With the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, Julius is forced to flee for Algeria, where he soon learns the art of deception. Here, the listener is provided a glimpse into the mind of one of the most unlikable characters in literature. 

London, 1863. Bridie Devine, the finest female detective of her age, is taking on her toughest case yet. Reeling from her last job and with her reputation in tatters, a remarkable puzzle has come her way. Christabel Berwick has been kidnapped. But Christabel is no ordinary child. She is not supposed to exist. 

Molly Gibson, the only daughter of a widowed doctor in the small provincial town of Hollingford, lost her mother when she was a child. Her father remarries wanting to give Molly the woman's presence he feels she lacks. To Molly, any stepmother would have been a shock, but the new Mrs. Gibson is a self-absorbed, petty widow, and Molly's unhappiness is compounded by the realisation that her father has come to regret his second marriage.