Showing results by narrator "Daphne Kouma" in All Categories

Renowned gamester and the first to admit that he is entirely void of a romantic disposition, Max Ravenscar regards all eligible females with indifference and unconcern. But when he meets the woman his young cousin Adrian is bent on marrying - the beautiful Deborah Grantham, mistress of her aunt's gaming house - he finds that none of his experience in risk and gambling has prepared him for such a worthy opponent.

The Sunday Times bestseller! 'There’s nothing quite like a Karen Swan novel to get you in the festive mood – Seasonal escapism at its best' – Woman & Home Snowed in for the holidays, old truths rise to the surface. Christmas by Candlelight is a cosy Christmas story from Karen Swan...

Two teenagers, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, meet at a taverna on the island they both call home. The taverna is the only place that Kostas and Defne can meet in secret, hidden beneath the blackened beams from which hang garlands of garlic and chilli peppers, creeping honeysuckle, and in the centre, growing through a cavity in the roof, a fig tree. The fig tree witnesses their hushed, happy meetings; their silent, surreptitious departures. The fig tree is there, too, when war breaks out, when the capital is reduced to ashes and rubble, when the teenagers vanish.

After twenty-four years on the throne, it is time for Bersun the Brusque, emperor of Orrun, to bring his reign to an end. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders will compete to replace him. Trained at rival monasteries, each contender is inspired by a sacred animal - Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, and Hound. An eighth - the Dragon proxy - will be revealed only once the trials have begun. Eight exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists - the best of the best.

The new arrivals are checking in to the Ionian Escape hotel on the sun-soaked island of Kefalonia, and they're all hoping for a complete break from their everyday lives. But some of them are bringing quite a lot of baggage . . .

Elodie Fray wants to be more like her perfect sister, Ada, the one her parents are actually proud of. When she decided to quit her job and pursue her dream of becoming an author, she thought it would be her time to shine, but a year on nothing has happened. And she's getting desperate. When Elodie makes one small mistake on a drunken night with a friend, things quickly spiral and suddenly everyone believes she has a book deal. Unable to find a way back from her little lie, her perfect dream becomes a perfect nightmare - and desperate times call for desperate measures.

The moment I meet Anna at number 7, I immediately like her. But her husband is staring at me with a strange expression on his face. It sends a shiver down my spine. And then a few days later, Anna is gone… The second I see the moving van, I rush outside. My husband tells me to give our new neighbours space, but I need to know who they are. When I see Anna, I’m in awe. Despite the chaos of boxes, she is glamorous, with perfect hair and elegant clothes. But her husband, Fraser, makes me nervous. I can’t explain it, but I don’t trust him.

Melodie Pelletier is drawn back to the idyllic island of Corfu, a place bursting with wonderful family memories. She visits the popular fishing village of Agios Stefanos, a place with an outpouring of warm welcomes and even warmer seas and sand. While travelling, Melodie meets a handsome man with an intriguing young daughter. But Melodie doesn't want a holiday fling; it's not in her nature. After deciding to avoid the intriguing pair, their paths collide once more. But there's something else going on, a secret that Melodie could never have expected to uncover.

Brought to you by Penguin. A SCHOOL REUNION... A CHRISTMAS PARTY TO DIE FOR. December 1937. Daphne King is attending the twentieth anniversary reunion at her secondary school, Midwinter Academy, a weekend that will see resurrected rivalries and alliances amidst the Christmas festivities. But a...

Cressida Fawcett is heading to the English countryside for a weekend of cocktails and partying at her friend’s glamorous mansion, the location of a recent diamond heist. But just hours after her arrival, Cressida is woken by an almighty scream. Rushing to the landing, she looks down into the great hall to find a trembling maid standing next to the body of Harry, the friendly young chandelier cleaner. Everyone believes Harry’s death was an accident. But as Cressida examines the opulent hall and the beautiful grounds, she thinks something darker is afoot.

Everyone knew influencer Joy Maddison. Millions followed her perfect life online, envying her loving husband, adorable kids, and stunning home. Until the night Joy vanished without a trace. Five years later, Joy's dramatic reappearance sends shockwaves through the people she left behind. Unraveling the tangled truth about what happened to her will force Joy to confront a devastating secret from her past — a secret someone is determined to keep buried at all costs.

Paris 1943. Elise Chevalier knows what it is to hate. Her fiancé, a young French soldier, was killed by the German army at the Maginot Line. Elise's mother fears for her outspoken daughter. In occupied Paris, there is a punishment for those who draw attention to themselves; those who refuse to stay silent.

Rachel and Hilary are sent to live with their ambitious aunt who runs a stage school, training a troupe of dancing girls. It's heaven for Hilary who loves to perform, but quite the opposite for quiet Rachel. The last thing Rachel wants is to become one of her aunt's Little Wonders—particularly if it means behaving like their irritating show-off of a cousin. A mischievous, fun and moving story about young performers, from the acclaimed author of the classic Ballet Shoes.

Cressida’s hopes for a relaxing journey are dashed when a gunshot resounds through the carriages. Industrial tycoon Lewis Warriner has been shot dead in his cabin. And as this train has been racing through the countryside, the culprit must be among Cressy’s fellow passengers. Teaming up with Detective Andrews of Scotland Yard, also on his way back to London, they work their way through the suspects. Did Warriner’s mistress, a famous dancer, see his death as her ticket on to the silver screen? Or was it the mysterious man who can’t take his eyes off Lewis’s close companion?

Maria, Alex, and Antonio Capello were raised by their gangster father with just one rule: family is everything. Now he’s dead, Maria works as a lawyer by day and a mob boss by night, risking everything if her secret life is ever revealed.

Lydia Broom is living her second-best life. With her dreams of being a chef left in the dust, she instead finds solace writing about the dishes she wished she created. When Lydia's sent to Corfu on an assignment, she's excited to see what culinary delights the island has to offer, but nothing seems to tickle her fancy—until she tastes the creations of local cook Thanos Nicolaidis.

Cleopatra: the beguiling, legendary Pharoah and Queen of Egypt - the arch seducer who used her beauty to grasp for ever more power. But with her character only ever recorded by men who despised her, how can we be sure this was the real story? From the lauded author of Fair Rosaline: a powerful, unmissable untelling, unravelling Shakespeare's Roman plays to draw out the woman behind the myth.

'Dark, chilling, atmospheric . . . The Escape is this winter’s The Hunting Party' – Veronica Henry From bestselling author Ruth Kelly, The Escape is an electrifying thriller of influencers, secrets and lies set in a grand mansion in rural France. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Sarah...

Melodie returns to her mother's house in Corfu for the first time since inheriting it. Only, she discovers it isn't empty. She finds someone has been living there; a girl who claims the property is hers. Dismissing the claim, Melodie tries to enjoy her new life and love in the beauty of Corfu. The girl soon resurfaces and it becomes impossible to ignore her any longer. Who is this girl, and what does she want from Melodie?

Ten celebrities have arrived to take part in the most gruelling - and lucrative - reality survival show ever devised: two weeks completely alone on a remote Scottish island, in the depths of winter. With a production team that seems incapable of keeping them safe, a gathering storm and the unrelenting gaze of hidden cameras, the contestants are stretched to the limit as they try and outshine their fellow competitors and hide their darkest secrets. But when a contestant winds up dead, it soon becomes clear that the players are not just fighting for the prize, but for their lives.