1958. The Palace of Versailles is hosting an event that will go down in history. It is a glamorous dusk-to-dawn ball, where a select group of debutantes will be presented to international society and royalty. And for four young women, all with something to prove, it is an event they will never forget.
Amelia Alexander is the daughter of a hard-working, single mother who sacrifices everything to ensure that Amelia can take every opportunity for a better life.
Caroline Taylor is pursuing a passionate affair with an up-and-coming movie star ten years her senior. But does he love her, or is his interest because of her famous father?
Nuclear physics student, Felicity Smith, is uninterested in fashion and socializing, but she attends the ball to please her parents and to step out of the shadow of her sister.
And Samantha Walker is the beloved, over-protected daughter of a wealthy businessman, her excitement about the invitation overshadowed by a past tragedy that still haunts her.
An exclusive invitation, a trip to Paris, and one spectacular, show stopping night will change these young women's lives forever . . .

Following the phenomenal international success of Big Panda and Tiny Dragon and The Journey, James Norbury's latest book introduces readers to a very special cat on a remarkable adventure.

'I've learnt that what we want is seldom what we need, and what we need is almost never what we want'

This is the tale of a cat wise in the ways of zen who hears of a solitary ancient pine, deep in a maple forest, under which infinite wisdom may be found.

So begins a journey of discovery.

Along the way he meets a vivid cast of animals: from an anxious monkey and a tortoise tired of life, to a tiger struggling with anger, a confused wolf cub and a covetous crow.

Each has stories to tell and lessons to share.

But after a surprise encounter with a playful kitten, the cat questions everything . . .

Told in a gentle, calming style, The Cat Who Taught Zen introduces a new cast of characters for readers of all ages to fall in love with, offering timeless wisdom wrapped up into a tale of beguiling beauty.

The long awaited follow-up to global bestseller I AM PILGRIM

If, like Kane, you're a Denied Access Area spy for the CIA, then boundaries have no meaning. Your function is to go in, do whatever is required, and get out again - by whatever means necessary. You know when to run, when to hide - and when to shoot.

But some places don't play by the rules. Some places are too dangerous, even for a man of Kane's experience. The badlands where the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet are such a place - a place where violence is the only way to survive.

Kane travels there to exfiltrate a man with vital information for the safety of the West - but instead he meets an adversary who will take the world to the brink of extinction. A frightening, clever, vicious man with blood on his hands and vengeance in his heart...

This third volume of Perfect Hideaways in South Africa feels like a balm for the soul - and our times. In the five years since the second book was published, the world has changed beyond measure. And of course, the ways in which people prefer to travel and choose to spend time with close family and friends. Luckily, Perfect Hideaways' passion for seeking out the most extraordinary havens that offer unique experiences remains unchanged. In fact, the holy trinity of great architecture, fabulous interiors and unique locations feels more heightened and relevant than ever. From bush to beach, wilderness to semi-desert, farm to wildlife conservancy and lagoons to rivers, this book showcases an exceptional range of Perfect Hideaways escapes to suit every predilection. By virtue of their spectacular settings, a stay in these private homes, farms and retreats creates precious memories in places where the pace of life is slower, the sky a little bluer and the holiday experience otherworldly.

It was supposed to be a simple case: a young man arrested for armed assault.
But it was just the beginning.
As Rodney Middleton awaits trial, Detective Jack Warr is warned by his mentor DCI Ridley that they have only scratched the surface of the man's crimes.
Then DCI Ridley is suddenly removed from his post. No one is to contact him - and no one will say why.
As Warr digs into Rodney's past, Ridley calls pleading for help, now accused of a murder he insists he didn't commit.
One of these men is a true monster, an evil soul. But which?
And what awaits Warr if he discovers the truth?

Detectives Cross and Sampson are tracking a serial killer who's fatally ambushing young men in the “Dead Hours” murders. They don't hear the machine gun fire. At first.
“Drop whatever you're doing, Dr. Cross, and head to Reagan Airport,” DC Metro Police dispatch says. “A plane just crashed and exploded on the runway. The chief and the FBI want you and John Sampson there pronto.”
The weapon that took down the plane is a remote-controlled Vietnam War-era machine gun. The list of those who possess the training and expertise to operate the stolen, .50-caliber weapon is short. And time runs even shorter.
As Cross and Sampson race to prevent another mass murder, their fearsomely armed opponent once again looks skyward.

The brand-new book from the legendary Jilly Cooper, featuring the iconic Rupert Campbell-Black. Be prepared for scandal, sex and sabotage - this time on the football field...

Jilly Cooper's legendary hero returns!

Rupert Campbell-Black, all-conquering racehorse owner-trainer and handsomest man in England, is in the darkest of places. His adored wife, Taggie, is about to undergo chemotherapy. His beloved leading stallion has been assassinated.

Now his daughter Bianca is badgering him to buy into a failing local football club, Searston Rovers, so he can sign up her superstar striker boyfriend, Feral Jackson, and he and Bianca can return home from Perth to look after Taggie.Rupert dislikes football and his first impressions of Searston are distinctly unfavourable. But as their new and indelibly competitive Chairman, he won't stand for anything less than an Everest climb to the top of the Premier League.

With the help of the club's ravishing and adorable secretary, Tember West, and his sassy Press Officer, Dora Belvedon, he becomes increasingly fond of his riotous mix of players, despite bawling them out whenever they face defeat.

Rupert's explosive arrival at Searston causes outrage, so the fights are as furious off the field as on - particularly when glamorous WAGS flood in to stir up trouble and lust after Rupert…

Nor do the rival local football team, their duplicitous chairman and their corrupt dealings make things easier - let the scandals, sabotage and seductions begin…

Her name is Jane Smith. But to friends and foes, she's Jane Effing Smith. Why? Because she's the best criminal defense attorney in the Hamptons - the elite world of New York's rich and infamous. Because she's as good an investigator as she is a lawyer. Because she's tough. She's strong. As Jane is preparing to defend a high-profile client accused of a triple homicide, she's also hired to revive a cold case - a cluster of unsolved murders.Then another bombshell a devastating medical diagnosis. Terminal. She's got a year to live. But first, she has a trial to win. Unless one of her many enemies kills her first.

From basic training to witnessing atrocities across the border, this is the story of thousands of infantrymen who were deployed in the SADF, on or across the Border. Colourful characters, hilarious anecdotes and wild partying are interspersed with introspective passages where the author reflects on the warrior spirit awakened by adrenaline and danger, and the life-and-death choices troops were forced into making. 

Jaco van Gass was 23 when he was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Afghanistan in 2009. Losing his left arm to the blast, he sustained life-threatening injuries that stopped his heart twice; yet by a miracle - and the skill of the medics treating him - he survived. Against all the odds, Jaco has fought to build a post-injury life as an adventurer and professional athlete, a journey that has taken him from the slopes of the world's highest mountains to the North Pole, from the Carretera Austral to international cycling competitions in an Olympic velodrome.

In his inspirational autobiography, Jaco tells his compelling and inspiring story, starting with his childhood in South Africa and ending on the podium in Rio. Shedding light on the potholes and pitfalls encountered along the way, he paints a vivid picture of the harshness of Basic Training, the cruel realities of war, the struggle to rebuild his life after losing a limb, the energy-sapping cold experienced at 6,000 metres above sea level, and the complexities of navigating the world of British Cycling.

From the dust of the Afghan desert to the blinding whiteness of the North Pole, Jaco's story is one of horror and of great hope, of near-death escapes and of fierce resolve, and, above all, his unequivocal determination to succeed. Jaco has overcome extraordinary odds, not only in refusing to let injury define his life, but in going on to tackle challenges of which few people would even dream. Not just for adventure and military enthusiasts, Unequivocal is for any reader looking for an honest, inspiring voice that will encourage them to live life to the full.

A retired CIA operative in small-town Maine tackles the ghosts of her past in this fresh take on the spy thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.

Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she's living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement.

But when a body turns up in Maggie's driveway, she knows it's a message from former foes who haven't forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends—all retirees from the CIA—to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they're eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives.

Complicating their efforts is Purity's acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie's reluctance to share information—and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn.

As Jo's investigation collides with the Martini Club's maneuvers, Maggie's hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe, from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned, but with the help of her friends—and the reluctant Jo Thibodeau—Maggie might just be able to save the life she's built.

From the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Crossfire saga comes the conclusion of a twisty tale of three women fighting to outrun their pasts-one for love, one for power, and one for revenge.
You can't believe all of them, but can you trust any of them?
Lily Black was presumed dead for years. Now she's returned to the unquestioning arms of her loving husband, Kane. Where she's been is a mystery, but the deadly danger she's brought with her is manifest to all.
Aliyah, Kane's mother, has worked hard to position herself in power. No one escapes her bitter ambition, not her children and certainly not a woman who may not be who she claims.
Amy, Kane's sister-in-law, has been a pawn throughout the dangerous games the family plays. She's beginning to grasp the rules, though, and won't stop until all the pieces on the board have toppled.

Master storyteller and internationally bestselling author Christopher Paolini returns to the World of Eragon in this stunning epic fantasy set a year after the events of the Inheritance Cycle.

The world is no longer safe for the Dragon Rider Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn. An evil king has been toppled, and they are left to face the consequences of the reluctant role they played in his reign of terror.

Now they are hated and alone, exiled to the outskirts of society. Throughout the land, hushed voices whisper of brittle ground and a faint scent of brimstone in the air - and Murtagh senses that something wicked lurks in the shadows of Alagaësia. So begins an epic journey into lands both familiar and untravelled, where Murtagh and Thorn must use every weapon in their arsenal, from brains to brawn, to find and outwit a mysterious witch. A witch who is much more than she seems.

In this gripping novel starring one of the most popular characters from Christopher Paolini's blockbuster Inheritance Cycle, a Dragon Rider must discover what he stands for in a world that has abandoned him. Murtagh is the perfect book to enter the World of Eragon for the first time . . . or to joyfully return.

In the seventh installment in the Strike series, Cormoran and Robin must rescue a man ensnared in the trap of a dangerous cult.
Private Detective Cormoran Strike is contacted by a worried father whose son, Will, has gone to join a religious cult in the depths of the Norfolk countryside.
The Universal Humanitarian Church is, on the surface, a peaceable organization that campaigns for a better world. Yet Strike discovers that beneath the surface there are deeply sinister undertones and unexplained deaths.
In order to try to rescue Will, Strike's business partner, Robin Ellacott, decides to infiltrate the cult, and she travels to Norfolk to live incognito among its members. But in doing so, she is unprepared for the dangers that await her there or for the toll it will take on her. . .
Utterly page-turning, The Running Grave moves Strike's and Robin's story forward in this epic, unforgettable seventh installment of the series.

The gripping new Jack Reacher thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling authors Lee Child and Andrew Child

1992. Eight respectable, upstanding people have been found dead across the US. These deaths look like accidents and don't appear to be connected. Until one body - the victim of a fatal fall from a hospital window - generates some unexpected attention.

That attention comes from the Secretary of Defense, who promptly calls for an inter-agency task force to investigate. Jack Reacher is assigned as the Army's representative.

Reacher may be an exceptional soldier, but sweeping other people's secrets under the carpet isn't part of his skill set. As he races to discover the link between these victims, and who killed them, he must navigate around the ulterior motives of his new 'partners'. And all while moving into the sight line of some of the most dangerous people he has ever encountered.

His mission is to uncover the truth. The question will Reacher bring the bad guys to justice the official way . . . or his way?