Publisher: Perennial Press
The Castle of Otranto is a 1764 novel by Horace Walpole. It is generally regarded as the first gothic novel, initiating a literary genre which would become extremely popular in the later 18th century and early 19th century, with authors such as Charles Maturin, Ann Radcliffe, Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe and Daphne du Maurier.
He's just seven years old. He's your son. You wave goodbye to him one morning as he disappears into the swirling fog. And then he is gone. Forever. This gripping historical murder mystery, based on fact, is set in Bradford, England,1888 during the Victorian era. It explores the horrific murder of Johnny Gill; a murder and mutilation so gruesome, it stuns a nation. Even hardened detectives are affected by its savagery, swiftly comparing it to the work of Jack the Ripper. "Who Killed Little Johnny Gill?" is Kathryn McMaster's debut historical crime fiction novel. It is a page-turner that immediately immerses you in a maelstrom of emotions, keeping you in suspense as Chief Detective Constable Withers and his dedicated team of British detectives try and gather sufficient evidence to bring a conviction against their suspect. In 1888, police procedures and knowledge of Forensic Science are rudimentary and juries are exposed to persuasive newspaper reports and public opinion. Will justice prevail, or will the guilty walk free?Show book
Coronation Day, 1902. Charles and Kate Sheridan are pleased to be witness to the crowning of their king. Expatriate author Jack London is also watching the festivities—but with a more skeptical eye. He has come to London to write an exposé of the East End slums—and the coronation has not tempered his disdain for the monarchy. This special day takes a sinister turn when an anarchist accidentally blows himself up with a bomb meant for the king. Charged with determining the extent of the danger facing the Crown, Charles and Kate turn up a number of intriguing—and disturbing—questions. And then there is the matter of the mysterious, beautiful Charlotte Conway, editor of the anarchist newspaper where the dead man was employed. On the run from Scotland Yard, she takes refuge in Kate and Charles's home—and in Jack London's arms. All of which makes for a very interesting investigation indeed...Show book
In the late 19th century Sydney, a captivating drama involves amidst the cutthroat world of building barons, reminiscent of ‘Pillars of the Earth’ and Patricia Shaw’s ‘A Cross of Stars’. At its heart is the towering ambition of Leary Contracting entrusted with the monumental task of erecting Sydney’s tallest hotel the awe-inspiring Imperial.John Leary, a man of 55 years, leads his construction empire with an iron grip and is not alone in this endeavour. His two sons play pivotal roles in the family business, but it is his firstborn charismatic yet unpredictable Richard who basks in his father’s favour in stark contrast to Brendan, Richard’s half-brother who has the respect of Leary’s hard-working site men because he seems to have mortar running through his veins. As John tackles the colossal hotel project, he must navigate a labyrinth of bureaucratic red tape and withstand the relentless assault of his fiercest rival. The Imperial, a towering behemoth casts its shadow over the city while an array of tireless workers toils relentlessly to meet the unforgiving deadlines. Richard with his charm and capriciousness weds into high society dazzling the elite of 1885 Sydney while Brendan’s resilience shines when the demands of genuine love arise. John faces an agonising choice as he contemplates the future of Leary’s with only one of his sons fit to lead the family dynasty into the new century. It is only upon the completion of the Imperial that he makes his momentous decision.Succession stands as the third instalment in the Australian Sandstone Series; an evocative journey through the 19th century Sydney narrated from the gritty ground up.Show book
It’s the summer of 1968, and Evelyn Lynden is a woman at war with herself—minister’s daughter, atheist, independent woman, frustrated wife, bitch with a bleeding heart. Following her conscientious-objector husband Lenny to the rural Eden of Evergreen Valley, California, Evelyn wants to be happy with their new life. Yet she finds herself disillusioned with Lenny’s passive ways-and anxious for a savior. Enter the Reverend Jim Jones, the dynamic leader of a revolutionary church…. Meticulously researched and masterfully written, Beautiful Revolutionary explores the allure of the real-life charismatic leader who would destroy so many. It follows Evelyn as she is pulled into Jones’s orbit-an orbit it would prove impossible for her to leave.Show book
Set in late 1600's England, the story follows the life of a woman living an unconventional life. The loves of her life and all of its ups and downs are included. (Summary by Linda Andrus)Show book
Although written from a child's perspective, this is not a kids book but a series of funny, poignant, and sometimes disturbing stories about life in a late 19th-century Russian-Jewish village -- the world of my grandparents. Sholem Rabinovich (1859-1916) was born in Pereiaslav, Ukraine and later immigrated to New York. His short stories about Tevye and his daughters were freely adapted into the musical FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Rabinovich's will contained the following injunction: "Let my name be recalled with laughter or not at all." His translator, Hannah Berman, was Irish of Lithuanian descent.Some of these stories may be too intense for younger children. (summary by Adrian Praetzellis)Show book
