A quandary for John Mannering (aka ‘The Baron’). A young brash artist is found half-dead, with a noose around his neck, on the same day he had attempted to get Mannering to finance his career. The artist's terrified girlfriend desperately seeks help. Has the man tried to kill himself, or is it a case of attempted murder?

When John Mannering - alias the Baron - picked up the receiver he heard a frightened man at the end of the line. When he later opened his front door he found a superbly confidant and supremely beautiful woman standing there. She had been robbed of diamonds and she needed Mannering's help. Were the two linked? As the story unfolds it consumes Mannering's friends and enemies, and sees the Baron and his wife put in grave danger. As the tension increases and time ticks by, Mannering must use h...

John Mannering (‘The Baron’) is called in by Scotland Yard’s Superintendent Bristow to help catch the mysterious jewel thief ‘The Shadow’. No one knows the thief’s identity, but he has managed to pull off many high profile robberies. However, as Mannering proceeds to track down the target, he finds the pursuer becomes the pursued . . . .

John Mannering (aka ‘The Baron’) is a retired jewel thief and cracksman who now runs a respectable antique business, Quinns, in London’s Mayfair. He buys and sells objet d’art and also provides safe-keeping for many precious items – gold, silver and especially jewellery. A new generation of criminals see him as an obvious target – can they outsmart the man who was a legend amongst their fraternity in his time? They find, however, that robbing their ‘man’ isn’t quite as easy as they might h...

France's greatest poet of the last half century, Yves Bonnefoy wrote many books of poetry and poetic prose, as well as celebrated critical essays on literature and art (to which a second volume will be devoted). At his death in 2016 aged ninety-three, he was Emeritus Professor of Comparative Poetics at the Collège de France. The selection for this volume (and the second one) was made in close collaboration with the poet. The lengthy introduction by John Naughton is a significant assessment...

A young employee of the Olde World Gallery is suspected of stealing jewellery and even those that know her well suspect the worst. The list of crimes of which she is the alleged perpetrator then grows to include arson, and even murder. John Mannering (aka ‘The Baron’) comes to her aid and believes she is obviously being framed, but the evidence grows and there doesn’t appear to be any other rational explanation. Moreover, as Mannering draws closer to the truth, those others who are suspect...

Brought to you by Penguin.On 28 February 2013, a 600-year-old tradition was shattered: the conservative Pope Benedict XVI made a startling announcement. He would resign. Reeling from the news, the College of Cardinals rushed to Rome to congregate in the Sistine Chapel to pick his successor. Their unlikely choice? Francis, the first non-European pope in 1,200 years, a one time tango club bouncer, a passionate football fan, a man with the com...

This anthology collects all 25 original stories from the fourth year of Diabolical Plots, an online magazine of science fiction and fantasy. Manuals for memory tourism, a secret order of monks that tries to use a scriptural technicality to put off the end of the world indefinitely, a friendly nonbinary tank at a science fiction convention, a questionable academic paper published at a university of magic, living fossils awakened when the coal formed of them burns. The stories vary from humo...

The 'Alda insignia' is to be sold at auction, but John Mannering (‘The Baron’) refuses to buy it for a mysterious Australian. He is then, however, threatened by the seller’s lawyers. Travelling to Australia in order to try and uncover the truth behind these strange occurrences, Mannering meets with an extremely hostile reception. There are, however, questions to be answered and a deepening mystery solved, particularly when he comes across a manor house almost identical to one in England, a...

Another gripping story featuring John Mannering (aka ‘The Baron’). A burglar is robbing a dealer’s safe, but is interrupted. The burglar pulls out a gun and fires. Bullets tear into a man’s chest. Some jewels fall as the gun is used. A girl screams. Next morning, John Mannering is contemplating persuading his wife back to bed. The telephone rings and he is informed of the murder. Another complex and dangerous adventure begins, which sees Mannering at his best and in France. Moreover, he ha...

Five BBC Radio 4 dramatisations of John Buchan's espionage thrillers featuring gentleman spy Richard HannayThe forerunner to James Bond, secret agent Richard Hannay is a thoroughly British action hero, pursuing ruthless villains, foiling deadly plans and risking life and limb for his country. This gripping collection encompasses all five of Hannay's adventures, adapted for radio with superb casts including Tom Baker, Clive Merrison, Stuart Milligan, Jasmine...

Ethics, Literature, and Theory: An Introductory Reader brings together the work of contemporary scholars, teachers, and writers into lively discussion on the moral role of literature and the relationship between aesthetics, art, and ethics. Do the rich descriptions and narrative shapings of literature provide a valuable resource for readers, writers, philosophers, and everyday people to imagine and confront the ultimate questions of life? Do the human activities of storytelling and complex...