Showing results by narrator "Mark Topping" in All Categories

Wilhelm Canaris was appointed by Hitler to head the Abwehr (the German secret service) 18 months after the Nazis came to power. But Canaris turned against the Fuhrer and the Nazi regime, believing that Hitler would start a war Germany could not win. In 1938 he was involved in an attempted coup, undermined by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. In 1940 he sabotaged the German plan to invade England, and fed General Franco vital information that helped him keep Spain out of the war.

When 13-year-old Thomas Berrington is attacked by a group of boys on his way home, he believes it is just another beating he must take - until one of the boys is found dead, and Thomas is accused of the murder. Fighting to save his reputation and his life, Thomas is distracted by his feelings toward a girl his father would disapprove of: the pretty and resourceful Bel Brickenden. Together they uncover a web of deceit and lies to reveal the sad truth behind the murder.

Thomas Berrington, emigre Englishman who has made the doomed city of Garnatah his home, is once again attempting to solve a series of mysterious deaths. Accompanied by his companion, the palace eunuch Jorge, Thomas struggles to discover the truth while those in power seek to distract him. As his investigation continues, his personal life splinters into chaos, and he finds the Spanish, once more, demanding his presence.

For Thomas Berrington it begins with the mystery of a stolen body. Soon he is hunting a killer searching for the untold wealth of the richest city in Al-Andalus. Moving to Malaka with his family and friends, Thomas hopes for respite from the war that ravages Al-Andalus. Then two events conspire to throw his settled life into chaos. Someone seeks the location of the city’s fabled wealth while Spanish forces gather like storm clouds ready to rain down fire and iron.

For Thomas Berrington, torn between two warring civilizations, Ronda is an escape from the madness engulfing Gharnatah. For al-Zagal, the default leader of al-Andalus, it is a return to his mountain stronghold. In the year 1485 this should be a time of recovery and replenishment. Until the Spanish army arrives, spreading across the plain below towering cliffs. And someone is murdering women so subtly the first the deaths go unnoticed. Thomas and Jorge are once more thrown into the pursuit of a killer as the world around them changes, and the end of a once great civilization draws closer. Can they unmask the Incubus before he steals the breath of more victims?

For centuries, ships' commanders kept journals that recorded their missions. These included voyages of discovery to unknown lands, engagements in war and sea and general trade. Many of their logs, diaries and letters were lodged at The National Archives and give a vivid picture of the situations that they encountered. Entries range from Captain James Cook's notes of his discovery of the South Pacific and Australia, to logs of the great naval battles, such as Waterloo and Trafalgar.

Spain, 1489. Cordoba, Andalusia. Sent to Cordoba on the orders of a man he hates, Thomas Berrington welcomes the distraction of a murder, but is shocked when he uncovers evidence pointing to the killer being his closest companion. When Jorge is imprisoned, Thomas must continue the investigation alone - a task made harder by the distraction of two beautiful women.

Summoned to attend the Spanish queen, English surgeon Thomas Berrington discovers Sevilla in turmoil. Plague ravages the city, and the Inquisition takes both innocent and guilty alike. Among this chaos Thomas must investigate a series of killings. Two victims are taken together, but for what reason?

Thomas Berrington has come to the high mountains of Spain’s Sierra Nevada in search of an escape from the loss that haunts him. Standing at the boundary between life or death he cannot decide which to choose. When his friend Jorge Olmos tracks him down Thomas tries to reject him, but Jorge cannot be rejected. Events draw Thomas back toward the world of the living, and he finds himself pursuing the men who stole all hope from him. Thomas’s nemesis Abbot Mandana is working together with his son to gather an army. But for what purpose?

AD 1569. The March lands between England and Scotland are a place of terror, where outlaw bands and broken men rob, pillage, and murder in open defiance of the law. Here, deadly blood-feud is a way of life. Families of robbers, known as Border Reivers, live via blackmail and terrorism. No man sleeps safe in his bed, and the sound of hoof beats on the tops is a herald of death. Richie Reade, known as Richie O'the Bow, finds himself dragged into this dark and bloody world.

Northmen sacked the monastery at dawn before anyone had awakened. They burned the village and slaughtered all who stood in their path. The relics of Saint Philbert were lost, and the island was abandoned by those who once dwelled there. Sixteen years later, a monk named Abriel who had survived the attack as a boy is sent to recover the relics to help restore the reputation and legitimacy of Saint Philbert. What he discovers on his journey changes his life forever.

Twelve-year-old Nathan Bannister fantasizes about never having to go to class again. But his dreams never included a crazy wizard and a hot air balloon waiting inside his bedroom! Nathan is cold, scared, and still in his pajamas when the mad magician abandons him in medieval London. Desperate to return to his Granny's house in the modern world, Nathan falls in with a ragtag crew of street kids. As he attempts to find friends and allies, the young boy must escape a wicked baron and rescue the girl if he wants any chance of returning home.

1944, England. Calum Auger can see 10 seconds into the future. Desperate not to die in the air over Germany, the Lancaster bombardier uses his unique gift to drop his payload more accurately and help the pilot avoid enemy fire. But when he can’t find a way through the flak and the damaged plane crash-lands in England, he’s stunned to discover two government agents waiting to recruit him. Drafted into a top-secret team of psychics, Calum and his new unit are tasked with tracking down spies who stole sensitive documents—papers containing information on how to build an atom bomb.

Twelve-year-old Nathan Bannister remains awestruck by his crazy trips through time, and now he has an enchanted knife. But before he can unravel the weapon's connection to his family, he misplaces his younger sister Poppy in the mystical world of Lashtang. In his quest to recover his sister, Nathan must fight side-by-side with King Richard and determine both friends and foes in medieval London. With Granny's delicious cakes for sustenance, he realizes that deducing the secret behind the knife may be the key to saving his sibling.

1570 AD. The March lands between England and Scotland are a place of terror, where outlaw bands and broken men rob, pillage and murder in open defiance of the law. Here, deadly blood-feud is a way of life. Families of robbers, known as Border Reivers, live via blackmail and terrorism. No man sleeps safe in his bed, and the sound of hoofbeats on the tops is a herald of death.

Tom is a successful author, but he’s struggling to finish his novel. His main distraction is an online admirer, Evie, who simply won’t leave him alone. Evie is smart, well read, and unstable. She lives with her father, and her social-media friendships are not only her escape - they’re everything she has. When she’s hit with a restraining order, her world is turned upside down, and Tom is free to live his life again, to concentrate on writing. But things aren’t really adding up.

Nathan, now 14, must find a way to end the Hazlett’s rule and gain the throne back for his mother. He has the help of Kings from England’s past, but Clebbster brings a few families' members back from the dead himself. How on earth will Nathan defeat them. Yaark is still creeping around, and Poppy discovers that she’s the one destined to fight him. Everybody needs a friend in times of trouble, and luckily both Nathan and Poppy find they have more than they thought!

Nathan Bannister thinks he's finally mastered his magic. But that doesn’t do him much good when he loses his magical knife to the enemy. He's terrified his rivals will use it against him. Granny get’s involved, but things go from bad to worse when Lashtang's biggest enemy escapes from prison. Knowing he needs help, Nathan turns to some of England's old kings, as his enemies bring back the dead. But in the end Nathan realizes that only he and Poppy can make things right. Can Nathan reclaim his magic knife and the throne, or will his final battle end in tragedy?

Fourteen-year-old Nathan Bannister hoped his family’s new royal rule would bring peace to the magical kingdom of Lashtang, but they’re not there yet. Instead, he must frantically rescue his people after a devastating attack from monstrous wizards. At last, he discovers the magical chain that will bring the rest of his people back; he knows their only chance lies in cutting it. Desperately organizing his defense before his enemy becomes too powerful, another adventure through time throws a wrench in his plans.

At 14 years old, Londoner Nathan Bannister never thought he’d be the prince of a magical kingdom. Discovering he has his own special abilities, he hopes to use them to bring peace to Lashtang. But if he doesn't learn quickly, his leadership may not survive an attack from vengeful wizards. On his quest to save his new land, Nathan must escape a devious trick and fight off a three-headed dog. When he discovers that his throne's enemies possess modern-day weapons, he knows Lashtang will fall without some serious help. Can Nathan recruit an army of allies and use his fledgling magic to save the day?