Les Cummings was three when he was sent to the Children's Cottage Homes in Portsmouth. A traumatised little boy, he dreamed his mother would come back for him. She never did. Instead he fell victim to the worst abusers and a system that didn't care.Conditions at the home were harsh, the children poorly fed and hungry, dressed in stained second-hand clothes. But worse than that was the violence from some of the staff - Les was frequently punched, kicked and locked in the cellar as p...

'One of the best British crime writers' – Lee ChildWhen unsolved crimes resurface, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace faces a possible copycat killing in Dead Like You, by award winning crime author Peter James.The Metropole Hotel, Brighton. After a heady New Year's Eve ball, a woman is attacked as she returns to her room. A week later, another woman is assaulted. Both victims' shoes are taken by the offender . . .Roy Gra...

Hidden in the villages and towns of England reside eccentric characters of all types: sex-starved housewives, retired comedians, foul-mouthed parrots, monosyllabic children, troublesome students, even a wife-swapper or two!Twenty two hilarious stories from the world of home delivery taken from Lee's popular The Deliveryman Diaries Blog."Ideal for a holiday read. Laugh-out-loud funny. Don't miss this!!!!"

DI Charlie Priest was a newly promoted sergeant on the Leeds force when he was called to the scene of a tragic fire. Twenty years on, a new lead emerges and he has the chance to reopen the investigation but meanwhile he’s got trouble with a cheeky gang of burglars. By a combination of luck and good detective work, Charlie and his team are soon closing in on the perpetrators of both crimes. But a cornered villain with everything to lose can be dangerous for a copper who’ll take every kind...

From the Number One Bestselling author of Ugly: Despite her mother’s constant physical and psychological abuse, Constance Briscoe has gained a place at Newcastle University to study law – a long-held ambition. She finances her studies by several jobs at weekends and during the holidays, including working with the terminally ill in a hospice. She also finds the money to pay for several cosmetic surgery treatments in an attempt to transform the face that her mother has convinced her...

There's an epidemic sweeping the nationSymptoms include:*Acute embarrassment at the mere notion of 'making a fuss'*Extreme awkwardness when faced with any social greeting beyond a brisk handshake*An unhealthy preoccupation with meteorologyDoctors have also reported several cases of unnecessary apologising, an obsessive interest in correct queuing etiquette and dramatic sighing in the presence of loud teenagers on public transport. If yo...

Born into a fog-ridden south London slum in 1931, Eileen Killick quickly learned to look after herself. Her brothers were wayward, her mum had TB and her dad was working all hours on the railways. By the time she was fourteen she had survived the Blitz, a spell in a care home and her mother's death, but she craved excitement, embarking on shoplifting sprees, liberating fur coats and rolling toffs up west with notorious 'queen of thieves' Shirley Pitts.Eileen soon found herself in b...

'There is no one writing better police procedurals today.' Daily TelegraphA brutal hit-and-run killing opens the path to a 25-year-old crime...Past midnight, a horribly mutilated body is discovered on a road in Portsmouth, evidently killed in a hit and run. There are no witnesses - and few regrets. Why? Because the victim had been terrorising an entire estate. DI Joe Faraday unpicks the dead man's life, uncovering a world of hurt t...

Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond is confronted with a crime that comes too close to home. His beloved wife has been killed, apparently just the most recent victim in a series of murders of police spouses. Despite his superior's orders to leave the solution of this crime to other members of the force, he is determined to find the killer himself.

From the people who brought you the bestselling Confessions of a GP.Russell is a young criminal Barrister. It’s his job to defend the people who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law – Petty thieves, career criminals, drug dealers and murderers…The scary son of a famous footballer, whose violent behaviour has got him in trouble so many times he almost knows the law better than Russell.The thief of a marital aid, who has a rather unusual defence....

'There is no one writing better police procedurals today.' Daily TelegraphBlood is thicker than water...A massive undercover operation turns personal for DI Faraday when his son is involved.Portsmouth's major drug dealer's time is up. For years Bazza Mackenzie has made millions selling cocaine and heroin into the streets of Portsmouth. He's laundered the money and on the surface at least is one of Hampshire'...

'Many times I heard people say that you'll have no friends if you're a policeman. How wrong they were. If you were right with them, they were right with you.'PC Martyn Johnson is back on the beat with more hilarious and heart-warming stories from the golden age of policing.With his nose for trouble and a knack for mischief, there's no such thing as a quiet shift for the friendly Yorkshire bobby - from drunken dogs and runaway horse...