Showing results by narrator "Des Powell" in All Categories

George Gordon Byron was born in 1788, the son of the profligate 'Mad Jack' Byron, and succeeded to the title in 1798 moving to the family seat of Newstead Abbey. He attended Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he proved to be a poor scholar, preferring boxing, the low life and poetry, publishing his first volume of poems in 1806. In 1809, at 21, he embarked on a grand tour of Europe and on his return to England he married the humourless Annabella Milbanke, who gave birth to his daughter Augusta in 1815.

When Drew Hopgood’s brother, Frank dies whilst out climbing, it’s initially thought his death was simply a tragic accident. But when Frank’s much younger wife, Stella arrives at Hopgood Hall demanding half of Frank’s inheritance the Hopgoods and Alexi Ellis begin to suspect foul play...Stella has no claim to Frank’s legacy, but she isn’t giving up easily. And with the reputation of Hopgood Hall still fragile, Alexi can’t afford to lose any more money because of Stella’s greed. So Alexi, her partner Jack, and Cosmo of course, decide to dig deeper into Stella’s background.

With historical adherents as various as Mark Twain, Einstein, Freud, Philip Pullman, and Frank Zappa, Humanism’s central quest is to live with meaning with no need for the supernatural. Showing how humanists make sense of the world using reason, experience, and sensitivity, Cave emphasises that we can, and should, flourish without God. Lively, provocative, and refreshingly rant-free, this audiobook is essential listening for all - whether atheist, agnostic, believer, or of no view - who wish better to understand what it means to be human.

The ponies of Pemberley Stables have been bound by magic, and each of them are trapped in time. Can two brave girls help get them back? Gus the riding-school pony isn't having a very good day. But can Olivia and Eliza break the spell that is making him so grumpy and bring him back to the stables?

Ellie Cordwell seeks refuge with her grandmother, Pearl, in Cornwall after a breakup and the failure of her acting career. Successful entrepreneur Jasper Holmes is busy with work and raising his two young children. As the spring flowers bloom, something blossoms between Ellie and Jasper.

When William the Conqueror wished to reward his armourer, he made him a grant of land - land worked by freemen and already belonging to a Saxon lord. But the men of the Conquest had no time for the niceties of land tenure and legal possession. Rolf, the armourer, hacked his way through the Saxon defiance and savagely claimed his royal bequest.

Recently married, Barbara should now be enjoying her life as a newlywed, but she is plagued by a secret that she must keep hidden if she wants to keep the family she loves. But no one can keep a secret forever. Barbara knows that if her new husband Alex, a Spitfire pilot, discovers her secret he would surely reject her and their marriage would be over. But when a tragedy almost rips the family apart and then Alex is posted abroad, Barbara has to learn to live without him sooner than she thought.

The phony war is over and Hitler is beginning his rampage through Europe. But back home Barbara Sinclair has troubles of her own. With her wedding to Spitfire Pilot Alex Everton imminent, Barbara is worried about a secret she is keeping from her new husband – one that could ruin everything. Determined to try and maintain some normality in her life, the wedding goes ahead, but Alex leaves almost immediately to continue fighting the Germans. Barbara fears for his safety and for the moment, her secret must wait. But when bombs fall on Barbara’s new home, the war feels closer than ever.

The ponies of Pemberley Stables have been bound by magic, and each of them are trapped in time. Can two brave girls help get them back? Margot the dressage pony keeps getting all of her steps wrong. But can Olivia and Eliza help break the spell that is making her so clumsy and bring her back to the stables?

The epic new finale to the unmissable Tales of the Plains trilogy from the master of modern fantasy, David Wragg. Rebellion’s about the journey, not the destination. 'This explosive trilogy closer is a masterclass in humour and heart; sandwiched around one of the most exciting, non-stop action...

In a small town, three mothers wave goodbye to their children at the school gates. Naomi has lived in Exton Cross since she was born, and she knows everything there is to know about everyone. Aleema hates it here. It’s been three years and she’s yet to make a single friend. And she’s sure the other mums whisper about her behind her back. Kelly is an outsider. New to the town, she arrives with nothing but her son—and a dark secret. By the end of the school day, one of their children will be missing. And rumours will swirl that one of them knows why.

Someone knows about her past. Someone wants her to pay. Lou has spent her life supporting her husband and their family. But everything implodes when she catches him in bed with another woman. Heartbroken and betrayed, Lou walks away, only to find herself the target of a sinister campaign. Threatening notes arrive. Her car is vandalized. It seems someone is watching her every move. Lou suspects Freja, the woman she found in bed with her husband. But as she digs into Freja's past, disturbing truths about her own history begin to surface.

The fifth book in M.C. Beaton's charming Edwardian Candlelight series. Poor little Susie. A beautiful dreamer, she imagined herself happy in a rose-covered cottage, only to find herself mistress of a great damp castle and wife to the elderly Earl of Blackhall. Luck, not the lecherous earl...

Full of David Wragg’s unique blend of humour, heart, and high stakes, The Company of the Wolf is the epic next instalment in the Tales of the Plains trilogy. Seeking a better life, Ree and Javani have travelled west into the mountains, and left their pasts – and their troubles – behind...

Ever found yourself staring into the void and wished it would at least tell a good joke? Wonder how a chain-smoking French philosopher with unflattering glasses became an intellectual sex symbol? Want to understand existentialism without developing an addiction to black turtlenecks and cigarettes? "Sartre's No Exit" is the antidote to pretentious philosophical despair you've been waiting for.

Quinn the unicorn of Keyfaetuun has just been the ring bearer at his longtime friend Vaino’s fae wedding. It’s a lonely time for the only unicorn in the world. Taking Vaino’s advice, Quinn leaps over to Fortune Island to see the fae oracle, the Mother of All Seasons. She has foreseen a convergence between worlds. The time is now, and only through this convergence and taking the journey will Quinn find what he seeks. Furthermore, the Mother of All Seasons declares that another lonely heart, a sarcastic and curse cawing raven named Kirby shall go with Quinn.

January 1941. Peggy Collins has learned a lot during her time as a Spark Girl. Posted to Swansea as a driver to the squadron leader, she often hears things she shouldn't, and she knows to be discreet, understanding how serious the phrase 'loose lips sink ships' really is. Peggy meets and falls in love with pilot Jim Hudson, but her heart is broken when he becomes missing in action, and Peggy is left fearing the worst. That isn't the end of the shocks in store for Peggy, and she is forced to remember a promise made long ago. But can she keep her word while the bombs fall?

After discovering that her fiancé, Timmy, has been less than faithful, Evie is faced with a dilemma of the heart - she must try to mend their relationship or otherwise cut all ties and move on. Moving on from a first love is never easy, though, and it's further complicated by the fact that Timmy's mother is the headmistress at Evie's school and can't hear a bad word said against him.

‘Fabulously festive and sparkly as tinsel – an absolute treat of a book’ Milly Johnson For Bo Grayson, Christmas has always been the most wonderful time of the year. Well, until she had her heart broken last December… When Bo Grayson and her friends meet a mysterious fortune teller, she...

Sitting bolt upright, Ella rubs at her eyes and concentrates on the music. Is she dreaming? She’d fallen for Luka’s voice the first time she heard him singing on the street corner near her house, with his kind smile and joyous laugh. He was her first love, and the pain of being torn apart still slices at her. He’s alive. But even as hope swells in Ella’s heart, terror threatens to swallow it. Luka is Jewish. If he’s here, he’s in grave danger—even more than Ella faces for sneaking into the ghetto to see him back in Warsaw… But she will never regret it.