HarperCollins Publishers

It takes Paddington a long time to eat 15 packets of currants so that he can enter a competition to win a Rolls-Royce. He wins a bookmark! But he finds himself taking a driving test and, much to his amazement, is presented with a licence allowing him to drive a rather unusual vehicle.

This is the real story of what goes on inside the royal palaces, as witnessed by members of the royal staff and household past and present. Buckingham Palace is effectively an independent kingdom with its own rules and customs, now explained by Brian Hoey. Hundreds of anecdotes reveal the conditions in which the staff live and work and also their relationship with the Royals they serve. It looks at a varity of issues including: How does one get a job as personal footman to the Queen? Why does Prince Charles still have to send a note to her Page of the Backstairs requesting a meeting with his mother? How much do members of the household earn? Why does the Queen hate men in three-piece suits? Why are the Queens bedsheets six inches longer than Prince Philips? Why do her maids have to vacuum walking backwards? Why doesnt the Queen allow square ice-cubes to be put in her drinks?

Agatha Christie`s world-famous mystery thriller, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers.

A unique offering from the Queen of Crime. This Agatha Christie Signature Edition features the hero the world-famous author was most fond of — Mr Harley Quin, the enigmatic friend and counterpart of the rational Mr Satterthwaite. So far, it had been a typical New Years Eve house party. But Mr Satterthwaite — a keen observer of human nature — sensed that the real drama of the evening was yet to unfold. So it proved when a mysterious stranger arrived after midnight. Who was this Mr Quin? And why did his presence have such a pronounced effect on Eleanor Portal, the woman with the dyed-black hair?

A new Signature Edition of the Agatha Christie thriller, rejacketed in the stylish new series livery. When a number of leading scientists disappear without trace, concern grows within the international intelligence community. Are they being kidnapped? Blackmailed? Brainwashed? One woman appears to have the key to the mystery. Unfortunately, Olive Betteron now lies in a hospital bed, dying from injuries sustained in a Moroccan plane crash. Meanwhile, in a Casablanca hotel room, Hilary Craven prepares to take her own life. But her suicide attempt is about to be interrupted by a man who will offer her an altogether more thrilling way to die...

Another title in the new and stylish Agatha Christie Signature Editions series. The Argyle family is far from pleased to discover one of its number has been post-humously pardoned for murder — if Jacko Argyle didnt kill his mother, who did? The front door of the family home was locked... Dr. Arthur Calgary takes a ferry across the Rubicon River to Sunny Point, the home of the Argyle family. A year before, the matriarch of the family was murdered and a son, Jack, was convicted and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. Throughout the trial Jack had maintained his innocence, claiming he was hitchhiking on the night of the murder and he had been picked up by a middle-aged man in a dark car. Unable to locate this mystery man the police viewed Jacks as a lie. Calgary was the stranger in question, but he arrives to late for Jack — who succumbs to pneumonia after serving just six months of his sentence. Feeling a sense of duty to the Argyles, Calgary is surprised when his revelation hasisturbing effect on the family — it means one of the family is a murderer...

A new Signature Edition of the Agatha Christie thriller, rejacketed in the stylish new series livery. Baghdad is the chosen location for a secret summit of superpowers, concerned but not convinced, about the development of an, as yet, unidentified and undescribed secret weapon. Only one man has the proof that can confirm the nature of this fantastic secret weapon — a British agent named Carmichael. Unfortunately the criminal organisation responsible for the weapons development will stop at nothing to prevent him entering Baghdad and presenting his proof to the assembled delegates. Can Carmichael enter the city against such odds? Into this explosive situations appears Victoria Jones, a girl with a yearning for adventure who gets more than she bargains for when a wounded Carmichael dies in her arms in her hotel room. Now, if only she could make sense of his last words ... Lucifer... Basrah... Lefarge...

Originally published in 1969 and now repackaged, this razor-sharp and unpredictable novel revolves around a bored young couple looking for thrills in bleak northern Michigan. Their scheme to grab a $50,000 payroll takes an evil twist and ultimately leads to a senseless death.

Including more than 2500 logos selected from thousands of submissions, this volume is a useful reference source for designers to find a huge variety of styles and techniques for logo creation.

Some of Agatha Christie's earliest stories — including her very first — which show the Queen of Crime in the making... A macabre recurring dream... revenge against a blackmailer... jealousy, infidelity and a tortured conscience... a stolen gemstone... the haunting attraction of an ancient relic... a race against time... a tragic love triangle... a body in a box... an unexpected visitor from beyond the grave... Nine quintessential examples of Agatha Christie's brilliance are contained in this new collection of early short stories — including the very first one she ever wrote — and provide a unique glimpse of the Queen of Crime in the making.

A selection of mysteries, some light-hearted, some romantic, some very deadly... Twelve tantalizing cases! the curious disappearance of Lord Listerdale; a newlywed's fear of her ex-fiance; a strange encounter on a train; a domestic murder investigation; a wild man's sudden personality change; a retired inspector's hunt for a murderess; a young woman's impersonation of a duchess; a necklace hidden in a basket of cherries; a mystery writer's arrest for murder; an astonishing marriage proposal; a soprano's hatred for a baritone; the case of the rajah's emerald. All have one thing in common: the skilful hand of Agatha Christie.

Within each of us is a warrior of light. Each of us is capable of listening to the silence of the heart, of accepting failure without letting it get us down and of holding onto hope even in the face of weariness and depression. Values like love for all things, discipline, friendship and learning to listen to our own hearts are the arms with which this warrior confronts the battles we face in the name of personal growth and in the defence of the light. On every page there is an inspirational thought, which can be read as part of Paulo Coelho's whole philosophy or used form the basis of a daily meditation. This text is a guide to the process.

An ecological romance with a pulsing heart, equal parts Rider Haggard and Chico Buarque – one of the world’s greatest and most beloved storytellers broadens her style and reach with a Amazonian adventure story that will appeal to all ages. Fifteen-year-old Alexander Cold has the chance to take the trip of a lifetime. With his mother in hospital, too ill to look after him, Alex is sent out to his grandmother Kate – a fearless reporter with blue eyes ‘as sharp as daggers’ points’. Kate is about to embark on an expedition to the dangerous, remote world of the Amazon rainforest, but rather than change her plans, she simply takes Alex along with her. They set off with their team – including a local guide and his daughter Nadia, with her wild, curly hair and skin the colour of honey – in search of a fabled headhunting tribe and a legendary, marauding creature known to locals as the ‘Beast’, only to find out much, much more about the mysteries of the jungle and its inhabitants. In a novel rich in adventure, magic and spirit, internationally celebrated novelist Isabel Allende takes readers of all ages on a voyage of discovery and wonder, deep into the heart of the Amazon

A collection of macabre mysteries, including the superlative story Witness for the Prosecution… Twelve unexplained phenomena with no apparent earthly explanation… A dog-shaped gunpowder mark; an omen from ‘the other side’; a haunted house; a chilling seance; a case of split personalities; a recurring nightmare; an eerie wireless message; an elderly lady’s hold over a young man; a disembodied cry of ‘murder’; a young man’s sudden amnesia; a levitation experience; a mysterious SOS. To discover the answers, delve into the supernatural storytelling of Agatha Christie.

A middle-aged diplomat is accosted in an airport lounge and his identity stolen… Sir Stafford Nye’s journey home from Malaya to London takes an unexpected twist in the passnger loungs at Frankfurt – a young woman confides in him that someone is trying to kill her. Yet their paths are to cross again and again – and each time the mystery woman is introduced as a different person. Equally at home in any guise in any society she draws Sir Stafford into a game of political intrigue more dangerous than he could possibly imagine. In an arena where no-one can be sure of anyone, Nye must do battle with a well-armed, well-financed, well-trained – and invisble – enemy…

The Amazing Maurice runs the perfect Pied Piper scam. This streetwise alley cat knows the value of cold, hard cash and can talk his way into and out of anything. But when Maurice and his cohorts decide to con the town of Bad Blinitz, it will take more than fast talking to survive the danger that awaits. For this is a town where food is scarce and rats are hated, where cellars are lined with deadly traps, and where a terrifying evil lurks beneath the hunger-stricken streets.... Set in Terry Pratchett's widely popular Discworld, this masterfully crafted, gripping read is both compelling and funny. When one of the world's most acclaimed fantasy writers turns a classic fairy tale on its head, no one will ever look at the Pied Piper — or rats — the same way again!

In a world whose seasons are defined by Christmas sales and Spring Fashions, hundreds of tiny nomes live in the corners and crannies of a human-run department store. They have made their homes beneath the floorboards for generations and no longer remember — or even believe in — life beyond the Store walls. Until the day a small band of nomes arrives at the Store from the Outside. Led by a young nome named Masklin, the Outsiders carry a mysterious black box (called the Thing), and they deliver devastating news: In twenty-one days, the Store will be destroyed. Now all the nomes must learn to work together, and they must learn to think — and to think BIG. Part satire, part parable, and part adventure story par excellence, master storyteller Terry Pratchett’s engaging trilogy traces the nomes’ flight and search for safety, a search that leads them to discover their own astonishing origins and takes them beyond their wildest dreams.

The hero of «Cat Chaser», George Moran, isn't looking for trouble but finds it anyway when he winds up in bed with the wife of a drug-dealing mob-connected Dominican cop — vicious, macho and ready to follow George to the ends of the earth, which in this case means Miami.

In the cobbled streets outside Newgate Prison, the common and desperate of London gather regularly to enjoy the spectacle of human necks broken at the end of a hangman's rope. For Rider Sandman, newly returned from the Napoleonic Wars, it is not grim entertainment that draws him here, but a mission to prove the guilt or innocence of a condemned prisoner — a duty that leads Sandman from the hellish bowels of Newgate to the scented drawing rooms of the ruthless and powerful, and into the darkest shadows of the filthy, bustling city, in search of the truth.

Anne Sayer learned long ago that fairy tales don't come true. Connor Emory was the «prince» of a rich and powerful family and she was the «hired help», and for one glorious Maine summer, it was heaven. But evil stepmothers do exist, so Anne's «happily-ever-after» — wasn't. Dashing, charismatic, and successful, Connor never understood what happened all those years ago, but he's sure now it was for the best. As the reigning heir to the family estate, he returns to Candlewick Island for one reason only: to sell the cursed castle where his heart was broken and dismiss from his life the woman responsible. But Anne, now more beautiful and confident than ever, no longer fits his memory — and Connor is intrigued. But enough so to risk his heart again? A long way from the girl she had been, Anne knows what she wants. Armed with a scheme to save the estate and aided by a houseful of eccentric cohorts, this «Cinderella» intends to win back her prince. Because the glass slipper that would never have fit a decade ago is the perfect size now ...

Saturday night dates at the skating rink have been a tradition in the small southern town of Heartsdale for as long as anyone can remember, but when a teenage quarrel explodes into a deadly shoot-out, Sara Linton—the town's pediatrician and medical examiner—finds herself entangled in a terrible tragedy. What seemed at first to be a horrific but individual catastrophe proves to have wider implications. The autopsy reveals evidence of long-term abuse, of ritualistic self-mutilation, but when Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver start to investigate, they are frustrated at every turn. The children surrounding the victim close ranks. The families turn their backs. Then a young girl is abducted, and it becomes clear that the first death is linked to an even more brutal crime, one far more shocking than anyone could have imagined. Meanwhile, detective Lena Adams, still recovering from her sister's death and her own brutal attack, finds herself drawn to a young man who might hold the answers. But unless Lena, Sara, and Jeffrey can uncover the deadly secrets the children hide, it's going to happen again...

What if you had sculpted the perfect replica of a gorgeous Greek god and, right before you're about to unveil it to a group of ladies, it comes to life in all its naked glory? What if your creation wanted to reward you by fulfilling your every desire? What would you do? If you're Alexandra, you'd want to smash something. The statue of Darius, playboy god, was supposed to bring in much-needed cash for the orphanage where Alex grew up. Now that it has miraculously turned to flesh, she just needs to give it a small imperfection so that it'll turn back into the marble statue she created. Never mind that she fell in love with him—it—a little every day while she was sculpting the exquisite body. Never mind that he—it—is every bit as sexy and charming and powerful as she imagined. And she sure as heck shouldn't be tempted by his heated offer to fulfill her every desire...

When serial-killing local Florida historian Serge A. Storms is off his meds, no one is safe — not Russian hoods, Jamaican mobsters, spoiled frat boys, women's book clubs, drug dealers, bad Vegas-rejected local lounge acts — especially when $5 million in cash in a bugged suitcase is still racing up and down the Eastern Seaboard. But in the oddball circus known as the Sunshine State, little things like astronomical body counts tend to get lost in the shuffle.

Ensconced in a lovely tropical villa on idyllic Triggerfish Lane, Jim Davenport anticipates the good life to come. But this isn't living — it's Florida and the neighborhood is not quite what it seems. It's got overly aggressive Little League parents, drug-free Rastafarians, homicidal hookers, unnatural sex and casual violence. Oh, yes, and there's a psychopathic serial killer-cum-Sunshine-State folklorist named Serge A. Storms living directly across the street. So it's only a matter of time before Jim up and actually kills somebody ...