Macmillan Publishers

Mycroft Holmes’s encoded message to his brother, Sherlock, is unsubtle enough even for Dr. Watson to decipher: a matter concerning the safety of Queen Victoria herself calls them to Edinburgh’s Holyrood House to investigate the confounding and gruesome deaths of two young men — horrific incidents that took place with her highness in residence. The victims were crushed in a manner surpassing human power. And while recent attempts on her majesty’s life raise a number of possibilities, these intrigues also seem strangely connected to an act of evil that took place centuries earlier… For indeed, the slaying of David Rizzio, music master and friend to Mary Queen of Scots, was an extraordinarily brutal and treacherous act — even for a time when brutality and treachery were the order of the day. Now, the ghosts of Holyrood House are being reawakened by someone with a diabolical agenda of greed, madness, and terror as Holmes and Watson set out to trap a killer who is eager to rewrite history in blood...

William Shakespeare's tragic story of the star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, is as relevant now as it was over 400 years ago. Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. This Macmillan Reader is wriiten as a playscript and includes original extracts.

This volume examines the integration of economics and moral philosophy, arguing that valuation and analysis in health economics and health programs should be based on recent innovative research.

Frank Herbert's Dune is widely known as the science fiction equivalent of The Lord of the Rings. Now The Road to Dune is a companion work comparable to The Silmarillion, shedding light on and following the remarkable development of the bestselling science fiction novel of all time. In this fascinating volume, the world's millions of Dune fans can read — at long last — the unpublished chapters and scenes from Dune and Dune Messiah. The Road to Dune also includes some of the original correspondence between Frank Herbert and famed editor John W. Campbell, Jr., along with other correspondence during Herbert's years-long struggle to get his innovative work published, and the article «They Stopped the Moving Sands», Herbert's original inspiration for Dune. The Road to Dune also features newly discovered papers and manuscripts of Frank Herbert, and Spice Planet, an original novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, based on a detailed outline left by Frank Herbert. The Road to Dune is a treasure trove of essays, articles, and fiction that every reader of Dune will want to add to their shelf.

At an international conference in Prague, Lt. Col. Jon Smith, an Army research doctor specializing in infectious diseases and secretly an agent attached to Covert-One, is contacted by a Russian colleague, Dr. Valentine Petrenko. Petrenko is concerned about a small cluster of mysterious deaths in Moscow and about the Russian government’s refusal to release publicly any information or data on the outbreak. When the two meet, they are attacked by a group of mysterious men and Petrenko is killed, his notes and medical samples are lost, and Smith barely escapes with his life. At the same time, a series of government officials around the world are coming down with a mysterious, fast-acting virus with a 100% fatality rate. These deaths are somehow related to the increasing militarism from the new Russian government, headed by the autocratic and ambitious President Victor Dudarev. With few clues and precious little time, Smith and Covert-One must unravel this mysterious plot and find the mysterious figure who stands at the center of it all…

In the story written by Jennifer Crusie, mayhem ensues under the mistletoe as a determined shopper grabs the very last hot toy action figure off the shelf, only to find herself plunged into the middle of a real-life spy game — in the arms of a sexy secret agent...In the story by Lori Foster, two dedicated co-workers with a lot of secrets (and fantasies!) between them must plan a Christmas party side by side — and discover a love worth celebrating — in this steamy office romance. In the story by Carly Phillips, a «mistletoe moment» begins when a no-nonsense lawyer intent on seducing her boss meets his twin instead — after giving him a scintillating kiss that leaves him begging for more...

Wilbur Smith’s adventure tales are big, bold and unforgettable. In SHOUT AT THE DEVIL, the New York Times bestselling master storyteller takes us to a brutal paradise engulfed in the fires of civilization’s war...

THE VOICE SEEPS LIKE BLOOD... Two years ago, Derek Tyler confessed to a sickening quartet of murders. Now the convicted perpetrator remains locked away, as do the gruesome, inimitable details of his crimes, which is precisely why this can’t possibly be happening all over again—but it is. SOOTHING, CAJOLING, PRAISING, COMMANDING... One by one, mutilated corpses are turning up, each marked by the unmistakable calling card of the same warped killer. Still shattered in the wake of her own unbearable trauma, Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan is called in to make sense of the implausible scenario, with criminal psychologist Tony Hill on hand to complicate matters at every turn. AS IMPOSSIBLE TO SILENCE AS IT IS TO DEFY. As a seasoned profiler, Tony is convinced that the new murders aren’t the work of a copycat killer. Together, he and Carol prowl the mist-shrouded alleyways of tawdry Temple Fields, tracking a cunning serial killer who seems to be safely locked away yet somehow simultaneously on the loose, preparing to strike again...

Human Interest Okonkwo is respected for his strength, bravery, honesty and wealth. But his people are doomed to be destroyed both by the superstition-bound customs of tribal life, and the arrival of the white man. This simply and movingly told story by Nigeria's foremost novelist has become a classic in African literature. Recommended for older readers.

On Parrish Island, off the coast of Virginia, lies a psychiatric facility. Far from prying eyes, it is a government-run hospital for former intelligence employees in possession of highly classified information. Former Consular Operations agent Hal Ambler is one of these patients whose mind is filled with secrets of state—and is considered such a security risk that he is kept heavily medicated and closely watched. But there’s one critical difference between Ambler and the other patients—Ambler isn’t crazy. Now he must find a way to escape the facility, find out who put him there, and uncover the truth of who he was…and why someone is willing to risk everything to see him dead.

A «Washington Post Book World» Rave for 2005 In the aftermath of 9/11, Yaroslav Trofimov spent three years crisscrossing the Islamic world to create this unprecedented report. Mingling with ordinary Muslims, prominent clerics, and heads of state alike, he paints a ground-level picture of Islamic life as it is being changed by the Western war on terror. A sensitive, provocative portrait of a critical period in Muslim history, «Faith at War» introduces surprising ties between the Islamic world and our own.

A breathtaking journey of twists and turns from New York to London, from Bucharest and on to Tokyo ends up in a sleepy English village where the mystery surrounding Van Gogh's last painting will finally be resolved.

Windsor Academy ranks as one of the best New England prep schools money can buy. From its Gothic arches to its ethnic diversity, it looks picture perfect... as long as nobody notices that the headmaster’s wife has a student lover and drugs are as available as candy. And when freshman Mark DeAvecca looks out a faux medieval window and sees a body across the campus, he wonders if he’s hallucinating — especially when no corpse is found. Since everyone thinks that Mark is a druggie, they all ignore him — until he returns to his dorm room to discover his roommate dead, hanged by the neck from the ceiling. Desperate, Mark calls his mother’s friend Gregor Demarkian, former FBI agent and the one person Mark knows will listen. Demarkian is world-weary and ready to retire from his investigative career, yet he can’t turn down a plea from a scared kid. And it doesn’t take long before Gregor knows something is very wrong at Windsor Academy... something like manipulation, dirty tricks, and murder.

Lamour Harrington’s husband died two years ago. It is the second time she has lost a man she loved to a tragedy: her father died in a mysterious boating accident when she was seventeen. When a devastating discovery about her husband’s death leaves Lamour feeling stunned and betrayed, she returns to the house on the lush Amalfi coast where she'd lived with her father during the happiest years of her childhood. But the house of her memories has secrets all its own, forcing her to face new truths about another man she once loved. Was her father’s death truly accidental? Or was he hiding something that caused his early demise? Torn between two mysterious and compelling men who have now entered her life, Lamour discovers that the past has a way of returning when you least expect it. And someone wants to ensure that Lamour doesn’t uncover the secrets of this idyllic, dreamy coastal getaway. As the past and the present collide in a shattering and suspenseful climax, Lamour must face the things she fears the most, in order to find the courage to live life to the fullest.

When Marcus Didius Falco, a Roman «informer» who has a nose for trouble that's sharper than most, encounters Sosia Camillina in the Forum, he senses immediately all is not right with the pretty girl. She confesses to him that she is fleeing for her life, and Falco makes the rash decision to rescue her — a decision he will come to regret. For Sosia bears a heavy burden: as heavy as a pile of stolen Imperial ingots, in fact. Matters just get more complicated when Falco meets Helena Justina, a Senator's daughter who is connected to the very same traitors he has sworn to expose. Soon Falco finds himself swept from the perilous back alleys of Ancient Rome to the silver mines of distant Britain — and up against a cabal of traitors with blood on their hands and no compunction whatsoever to do away with a snooping plebe like Falco....

IELTS Graduation is a comprehensive course for students preparing to take the IELTS academic test. Aimed at the IELTS band 5.5 — 7.5, this topic-based book contains a wide range of activities to train students in all the required skills to help improve their IELTS score. It provides clear and practical information on all parts of the IELTS examination, as well as teaching them the skills required to do well. IELTS Graduation is written by practising teachers who are currently teaching in the classroom. Key Features: 10 topic-based units Regular Pronunciation development sections help build students' confidence in speaking and listening Exam information boxes provide students with detailed advice on what to expect from each section of the exam Strategy boxes and Tip boxes offer suggestions for how to tackle the various IELTS tasks Study Skills sections at the end of each unit contain advice on studying independently Extensive writing practice, with model answers for all the writing questions, accompanied by useful comments Regular dictionary focus boxes encourage students to broaden their vocabulary range Additional photocopiable class tasks and extra study tasks in the Teacher's Book Sample answers for the writing exam in the Teacher's Book.

Lizzie Nichols has a problem, and it isn’t that she’s blowing her college graduation money on a trip to visit her long-distance boyfriend Andy in London. She just can’t keep anything to herself, including her indignation at finding out her beloved boyfriend wasn’t completely faithful to her during their separation. She’s now out on the streets with no money and a non-changeable airline ticket home for exactly a month away. Fortunately, Lizzie’s best friend, Shari, comes to the rescue. She’s spending the summer in the South of France catering weddings in a romantic sixteenth century chateau, and she’s able to sort Lizzie out with a job. One glimpse of the gorgeous Chateau Mirac, not to mention the equally gorgeous son of the owner, and Lizzie is hooked.

Tom Bryce did what any decent person would do. But within hours of picking up the CD that had been left behind on the train seat next him, and attempting to return it to its owner, he is the sole witness to a vicious murder. Then his young family are threatened with their lives if he goes to the police. But supported by his wife, Kellie, he bravely makes a statement, to the murder enquiry team headed by Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, a man with demons of his own — including his missing wife — to contend with. And from that moment, the killing of the Bryce family becomes a mere formality — and a grisly attraction. Kellie and Tom's deaths have already been posted on the internet. You can log on and see them on a website. They are looking good dead.

Molly is living in Briersville Park with her mother, Lucy Logan, after the revelations following their adventures in Hollywood. But Molly and her dog Petula are mysteriously abducted and whisked back in time to nineteenth-century India, where Molly must focus her attention and test her hypnotic powers to the limit yet again! A super-rich and cruel maharaja is enraged that Molly ruined his plans by stopping time and preventing Primo Cell from becoming the President of America. Now the maharaja has mastered the art of Time-Travel Hypnosis and plans to kidnap Molly at an early age so that she can never find the book of hypnotism which taught her how to use her amazing skills. Molly, Rocky and Petula find themselves in a strange time and place with their childhood selves in desperate danger, in a fantastic new adventure from an exciting writer whose popularity grows with every book.

A year ago Sam Madison saved the President of the USA from assassination. A year ago she became a teen celebrity — and started dating David, the First Son. Now, one year on, everyone thinks Sam is ready — for just about anything. Her art teacher thinks she's ready to draw naked people. The President thinks she's ready to present his Return to Family bill to the American people on live TV. And scariest of all, David seems to think he and Sam are ready to crank their relationship up to the next level. They are ready to Do It! Everyone thinks Sam is ready — except Sam herself. But will David be prepared to wait for his All American Girl?

A fantastic book of really great poems for Reception and Year 1 and 2. It contains poems which cover every form and theme of the Literacy Strategy, an index of poem types, advice for writing poems, advice for reading poems, lots of poetry activities and some workshop ideas and lesson plans.

A fantastic book of really great poems for Years 3,4,5 and 6. It contains poems which cover every form and theme of the Literacy Strategy, an index of poem types, advice for writing poems, advice for reading poems, lots of poetry activities and some workshop ideas and lesson plans.

Since she sashayed down the corridor in a schoolgirl uniform singing 'Baby One More Time', Britney Spears has become the most talked-about woman in popular culture. In this fascinating unauthorized biography, the author chronicles for the first time the amazing story of how a little southern girl described by her tutor at Disney as 'the most innocent person you'd ever want to meet' grew up to become the ultimate tabloid obsession. Bestselling author Sean Smith has conducted a series of exclusive interviews across America to discover if she really cheated on Justin Timberlake, what happened the first time she fell in love and what she finds irresistable about husband Kevin Federline. He details her journey from American dream to American nightmare — scarred by her break-up with Timberlake, humiliated by his video featuring a Britney look-alike, booed at the London premiere of her first film, Crossroads, and deeply upset by her parents' divorce, she hit rock bottom with her notorious 55-hour Las Vegas marriage. But she has come back stronger than ever winning a prestigious Grammy award and starring in her own reality TV series. Speculating on what an uncertain future holds for new mother Mrs Federline, this is a thoroughly entertaining and insightful biography of one of the most misunderstood figures in pop.

The tiny rural backwater of Dogtown nestled on Cape Ann and hugging the Massachusetts coast line, is a place that is reputedly dying, but its few remaining inhabitants show an enduring spirit that keeps a small flame of life alight. For here, in this forgotten hamlet, lives a cast of dignified, yet utterly eccentric characters. Black Ruth is one of only two Africans still living in the area; she dresses as a man, speaks to no-one, and continues her craft as the local stonemason, casting love and care over the stones she hews. Mrs. Stanley is blousey, blonde and the local madam; a woman of total self-absorption, who cares nothing for her young grandson, coming of age amid the sights and sounds of a wretched rural brothel. Oliver Younger, a man with ambition, overcomes a cruel and miserable childhood to marry the woman of his dreams and create a family infused with love. At the centre of it all is Judy Rhines, a fiercely independent woman, generous and wise, but also heartbroken and lonely, whose taboo love for Cornelius, a former slave, burns at the core of her soul. Loosely based on the true story of a community, «The Last Days of Dogtown» is a rich, compassionate and compelling novel which illuminates a small, but vivid, chapter of nineteenth century America.