Bøker utgitt av Little, Brown Book Group

Meet the Flockers -a soap opera of love, life and eggsAfter fourteen years of garden chicken keeping Martin Gurdon thought adding some ducks and doves to his flock would be harmless fun. He didn't realise what he was letting himself in for. Garden chicken and bird keeping has never been more popular, there are plenty of practical books that show you how, but this one reveals the often-bizarre, sometimes moving but always hilarious reality.Charting the seasonal highs and lows in a year of an amateur domestic bird owner and his flock, Doing Bird introduces you to world filled with ducks who think they're chickens, a hen called Ann Summers, invading foxes, rabbits and builders, vast vet bills, doves needing parenting classes and Bombay, the drake with an unrequited love for Bella the chicken.This is a fowl story of a man, a woman and a load of feathery trouble.

Nothing has prepared her for the nightmare that is about to begin...Eve, the 34 year old daughter of recently deceased conman Alexander Weston, knows a good deal when she sees it - and this one doesn't even come close. However, with vulnerable brother Terry being beaten in jail, she can't afford to be fussy. She needs to organise protection for him, and fast. The intimidating and powerful con Cavelli seems the perfect solution, but how high a price is he going to exact? She may as well be forming a pact with the Devil.A break-in, followed by a vicious assault, soon makes Eve question the wisdom of her choice. Cavelli is leading her straight into Hell. Suddenly, her own life is in jeopardy; there's a psychopath lurking in the shadows and he's prepared to kill to get what he wants. With two men dead already Eve is forced to turn to the past to find the answersshe so desperately needs.There's only one problem. Time is running out.

Roberta Kray's first novel, The Debt, was published to universal acclaim: 'You might expect a crime novel written by the widow of Reggie Kray would be tough ... it is. Recommend this to fans of Ian Rankin and Ken Bruen' (Booklist).In this third novel, there's more from the dangerous and unpredictable underworld she knows so well.Private eye Harry Lind doesn't believe in ghosts. Little Grace Harper went missing over twenty years ago, and missing girls can't just reappear - or can they? It takes a brutal murder to make him think again.Reporter Jess Vaughan is convinced that Grace is still alive but she's going to need some help to prove it. As she and Harry begin to unravel an age-old web of deceit and betrayal their discoveries soon put them on a collision course with one of London's most notorious gangsters. The search for the truth is about to lead them into a world where people will kill to preserve their secrets.

After eighteen years inside, Johnny Frank is coming out of jail with just one thing on his mind, to kill the man who put him there. But his plans soon go dramatically awry. As his past returns to haunt him, a vicious murder and kidnap force him back on the streets of London. He could choose simply to disappear - if it weren't for Simone. Through her marriage to Reggie Kray, the author has a unique insight into the inner conflicts of a long-term prisoner, and just as Roberta's life was irrevocably changed by meeting Reg, so Simone's will never be the same again after she enters Johnny's dangerous and unpredictable universe.Praise for Roberta Kray:'Well into Martina Cole territory, Roberta Kray's first novel gets under the skin of the London underworld with no problem' - Independent'Action, intrigue and a character-driven plot are delivered in well-written style, sure to please any crime fiction fans' - Woman'You might expect a crime novel written by the widow of Reg Kray would be tough - and it is. Recommend this to fans of Ian Rankin' - Booklist'The Debt convinces on every page - not only about the gangster world but also as a portrait of a woman whose life has been changed by forces beyond her control' - Chicago Tribune

Expanded and with great new stories, this is the biggest and best anthology of ghostly hauntings ever. Over 40 tales of visitation by the undead - from vengeful and violent spirits, set on causing harm to innocent people tucked up in their homes, to rarer and more kindly ghosts, returning from the grave to reach out across the other side. Yet others entertain desires of a more sinister bent, including the erotic. This new edition includes a selection of favourite haunted house tales chosen by famous screen stars Boris Karloff, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Plus a top ranking list of contributors that includes Stephen King, Bram Stoker, Ruth Rendell, and James Herbert - all brought together by an anthologist who himself lives in a haunted house. Stories include: Something unspeakable lurks in a Connecticut apartment closet, in Stephen King's 'The Boogeyman'; An Irish castle holds something truly horrifying in wait, in 'The Whistling Room' by William Hope Hodgson; The lecherous old ghost of a Georgian country house eyes up his latest tenant, in Norah Lofts' 'Mr Edward'; An ancient mansion on a shelf of rock previously occupied by a doomed castle, in 'In Letters of Fire' by Gaston Le Roux; The hunter is hunted in James Herbert's tale of nineteenth-century country mansion, 'The Ghost Hunter'; Psychic phenomena and poltergeists, avenging spirits and phantom lovers - curl up and read on, but never imagine you are safe from a visit...

This giant collection includes a huge range of 20th-century first-hand accounts of hauntings, such as the American troops who repeatedly saw the ghosts of a dead platoon of men while on patrol in Vietnam; and the witnessed haunting of a house near Tintagel in Cornwall that led actress Kate Winslet to pull out of buying the property.It covers the full spectrum of credible hauntings, from poltergeists (the noisy, dangerous and frightening spirits that are usually associated with pubescent girls, like the Bell Witch), to phantoms (like the Afrits of Saudi Arabia) and seduction spirits (such as the Lorelei, which have lured German men to death).Also included are the notes of the most famous ghost hunters of the twentieth century such as Hans Holzer, Susy Smith (USA); Harry Price, Jenny Randles (UK); Joyce Zwarycz (Australia), Eric Rosenthal (South Africa), and Hwee Tan (Japan). Plus essays by such names as Robert Graves, Edgar Cayce, and M. R. James outlining their own - often extraordinary - conclusions as to just what ghosts might be; along with a full bibliography and list of useful resources.Praise for MBO Haunted House Stories:'A first rate list of contributors ... Hair raising!' Time Out'All we need say is buy it.' Starlog

The Victorian era is significant for the rise of the middle classes and marked changes in social relationships, both in the home and in wider society, with the proliferation of domestic help and the development of increasingly rigid gender roles. These are romances that chafe against the restrictions of the period, with heroes and heroines who defy social convention, igniting firestorms of gossip. The aristocrats, impostors, social climbers, domestic workers and undercover agents of these stories exist in an authentically lush world, depicted here with telling attention to detail. While most of the stories are strongly realistic, some incorporate elements of fantasy.

'Olsen will have you on the edge of your seat' Lee ChildFor two women, Ted Bundy, America's most notorious serial killer is the ultimate obsession. One is a cop whose sister may have been one of Bundy's victims. The other is a deranged groupie who corresponded with Bundy in prison - and raised her son to finish what he started. To charm and seduce innocent girls. To kidnap and brutalize more women than any serial killer in history. And to lure one obsessed cop into a trap as sick and demented as Bundy himself...Praise for Gregg Olsen: 'Wickedly clever... twisted' Lisa Gardner'Olsen is a top-notch writer' Michael Connelly'Olsen keeps the tension taut and pages turning' Publishes Weekly

The face of the killer is as familiar as his own...The first time was easy. No one ever suspected the victim had been murdered.The crime long buried, the dark passions guiding the killer's hand are still alive. But the need for revenge cannot be denied. Only one person can stop the killing. Only one person can identify the killer. Only one person knows the face of death is as close as the face in the mirror...Praise for Gregg Olsen:Olsen is a top-notch writer.' Michael Connelly.'Olsen will have you on the edge of your seat' Lee Child.

When Denis O'Connor rescues a three-week-old kitten from certain death during a snowstorm, little does he know how this tiny creature will change his life forever. Against all odds the kitten - who he names Toby Jug - survives and forms an unusually strong bond with his rescuer.Set against the rural splendour of Northumberland, Paw Tracks in the Moonlight charmingly chronicles the adventures of one man and his Maine Coone cat. From an invasion of bees at Owl Cottage to the case of the disappearing tomatoes, life with Toby Jug - who believes himself to be human - is never dull. Nevertheless, it is only when Denis and Toby Jug embark on a summer camping trip on horseback in the Cheviot Hills that a new world opens up for them both.

From the start of the 20th century to the most recent major offensives, here are fifty accounts of the battles that made the modern world, described in superb detail by historians and writers including John Keegan, Alan Clark, John Strawson, Charles Mey, John Pimlott, and John Laffin.All the major conflicts are covered, from two world wars, through Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia, Chechnya, to Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the battles featured are: the Somme, Passchendaele, Battle of Britain, Stalingrad, El Alamein, Monte Cassino, Omaha Beach, Iwa Jima, Dien Bien Phu, Ia Drang, Hamburger Hill, Desert Storm, Kabul, Baghdad, and Basra.

Never be stuck for a wicked line again! - the ultimate collection of insultsHere is the biggest and best ever collection of insults and sharp retorts for when you just wish you could have thought of something faster. Editor Geoff Tibballs presents over 5000 come-backs, put-downs, snaps, insults, unadmiring quips and quotes, for every occasion. From the most elegant of studied insults to the wickedest of putdowns, from the language of the street to the literary, political, and entertainment worlds, from playground insults to sports, family and marriage jibes - here is every possible barb you could ever need, guaranteed to crack up all those around you. As an outsider, what do you think of the human race? Your mother's so fat, she has her own area code. Are your parents siblings? Anyone who told you to be yourself couldn't have given you worse advice. Is there no beginning to your talents? You'd be out of your depth in a puddle. Don't you need a licence to be that ugly? I'd like to see things from your point of view but I can't get my head that far up my arse. I'd love to go out with you but I have to worm my dog.

A heart-warming and passionate tale from the author of Tommy Glover's Sketch of HeavenAt the age of five I ran into a wood, and nearly two years later I walked out of it and into the nearest house.In 1927, Gracie returns to her house to find a young girl curled up on her armchair: a feral, rather grubby gift of fate. With no knowledge of the child's origins and no children of her own, Gracie adopts her and names her 'Joy'. Despite the endless speculation about Joy's unusual ways, Gracie is happy to remain ignorant about her past in case anyone should come forward to reclaim her as their own. Time passes and Joy grows into a young woman at the advent of World War II. But when she becomes romantically involved with a fighter pilot the mystery of her past slowly unravels . . .Praise for Jane Bailey'A vivid and involving novel that reaches a truly page-turning climax' Barbara Trepido'Absorbing, compelling and intensely moving' Lesley Glaister, author of As Far as You Can Go'A gentle, poignant, achingly funny tale of displaced children, first love and the tragic secrets hidden behind so many respectable facades' Serena Mackesy, author of The Temp

With the country's men at war, it falls to the land girls to pitch in and do their bit...Stella arrives at Hallows Farm in her Rayon stockings, having just waved goodbye to the love of life - naval officer Philip. Agatha has just graduated from Cambridge; life on the Farm is certainly going to offer her a different kind of education. Prue, a hairdresser from Manchester, is used to painting the town red, not manual labour. Joe dreams of leaving the family farm and becoming a fighter pilot. But with the arrival of these three beautiful young women, there's enough to keep him busy on the farm for the time being...Work is hard and the effects of war start to take their toll on the three women. But as the bonds of friendship start to form and excitement builds as the RAF dance looms, maybe life in the countryside isn't so bad after all?

When Kitty Green returns to the Gloucestershire school where she was once a child evacuee during World World II, she discovers that it is to be rehoused on the premises of the old boys' home Heaven House. At the time Kitty had been inseparable from one of its inmates, Tommy Glover, and so she begins to reminisce . . .In 1944 eight-year-old Kitty is placed in Sheepcote village with a cold, unhappy couple, Joyce and Jack Shepherd, who find her Cockney chirpiness repugnant. They also have problems of their own: 'Aunty' Joyce nurses a phobia against germs while 'Uncle' Jack seeks solace from his frigid wife in the pages of the Bible. Neither Joyce nor Jack approve of Kitty's friendship with Tommy, and even seem to nurse a mysterious hatred of him. Starved of affection herself, Kitty soon befriends all outsiders in the village she sees as missing home or longing for love: American airmen, gypsies, German POWs, orphans, and above all, her beloved Tommy. In the end, it is her relentless curiosity that slowly transforms the lives of the strangely unhappy Joyce and Jack. But it is only when a long-buried secret is finally exposed that the lives of nearly everybody in the village are changed forever.

Belfast. January 2005.Acting Detective Sergeant John O'Neill stands over the body of a dead teenager. The corpse was discovered on the building site of a luxury development overlooking the River Lagan. Kneecapped then killed, the body bears the hallmarks of a punishment beating. But this is the new Northern Ireland - the Celtic Tiger purrs, the Troubles are over, the paramilitaries are gone. So who is the boy? Why was he killed?O'Neill quickly realises that no one cares who the kid is - his colleagues, the politicians, the press - making this case one of the toughest yet. And he needs to crack this one, his first job as Principle Investigator, or he risks ending up back in uniform. Disliked by the Chief Inspector and with his current rank yet to be ratified, O'Neill is in a precarious position.With acute insight, Matt McGuire's cracking debut exposes the hidden underbelly of the new Northern Ireland, a world of drug dealing, financial corruption and vigilante justice.

Following her promotion and working now from Reykjavik, Gunnhildur is given responsibility for two cases - the first in tracking down an escaped convict who's keen to settle old scores, and the other, the murder of a TV fitness presenter in her city centre apartment.With the police short staffed and underfunded following the financial crash, Gunnhildur and her team set about delving into the backgrounds of both, where they uncover some unwelcome secrets and some influential friends of both who have no wish to be in the public eye.Set in an Iceland that is coming to terms with the deepening recession, Gunnhildur has to take stock of the whirlwind changes that have taken place as she investigates criminals at opposite ends of the social scale as some uncomfortable links appear between the two cases.Praise for Frozen Out:A meticulously constructed thriller, peopled with exceptionally convincing characters and shot through with black humour. Frozen Out is as chilling as an Icelandic winter. S.J. Bolton"e;[A] crackling fiction debut ... palpable authenticity."e; Publishers WeeklyBritish author Bates captures the chilly spirit of Nordic crime fiction in what is the apparent start of a promising series with a distinctly appealing protagonist. Fans of Arnaldur Indridason's Reykjav k mysteries will want to add Bates to their reading lists. BooklistGunna is an admirable protagonist: sensible, intelligent and determined....I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and can recommend it very highly as a flying start to what seems to be shaping up to be a superb new series. Eurocrime.Well written and absorbing. Women's Voice...compelling fast paced stuff that never falters. Hackwriters.com...his blistering debut reads more like an American procedural than the British product, right down to a denouement as acridly unsatisfying as today's headlines. Kirkus Reviews

In Jennifer Egan's highly acclaimed first novel, set in 1978, the political drama and familial tensions of the 1960s form a backdrop for the world of Phoebe O'Connor, age eighteen. Phoebe is obsessed with the memory and death of her sister Faith, a beautiful idealistic hippie who died in Italy in 1970. In order to find out the truth about Faith's life and death, Phoebe retraces her steps from San Francisco across Europe, a quest which yields both complex and disturbing revelations about family, love, and Faith's lost generation.This spellbinding novel introduced Egan's remarkable ability to tie suspense with deeply insightful characters and the nuances of emotion.

The infamous transsexual serial killer known as Daniel Danielle escapes from prison during a Florida hurricane and Frank Quinn fears he has returned and is wreaking havoc as the body count rises. Or it could be a copy cat killer working with stunning originality but whoever it is, this evil force must be stopped before another victim is claimed.

An invitation written in blood...A madman is stalking women in the city. By the time his victims are found, they've been dismembered with careful precision, their limbs stacked into a gruesome pyramid and completely cleansed of every last drop of blood.Accustomed to working on the most grisly homicides, detective Frank Quinn's nerves don't rattle easily but with this killer the veteran cop feels a chill run down his spine.This time, he realises, he is up against a psychopath who will test him like never before...Praise for John Lutz:'Lutz offers up a heart pounding roller coaster of a ride.' Jeffrey Deaver.'Misleading clues and dramatic suspense will keep readers pondering the intricacies of this twisted, creepy whodunit long after the last page is turned' Publishers Weekly, starred review.

To catch a killer... or die tryingA murderer dubbed 'The Night Prowler' has turned the city that doesn't sleep into a town kept awake by terror. Unseen, he enters couples' home. Unsuspected, he lingers until the perfect moment arrives. And then he leaves 'gifts' for his victims - before taking their lives.Ex-homicide cop Frank Quinn is still reeling in the wake of an elaborate set-up that ended his career. For Quinn, tracking this killer isn't just any job - it's a last chance to salvage his reputation. And with the body count rising, it's up to Quinn to unlock the mystery of a madman's past and end his bloody reign.

ON THE TRAIL OF A BLOODY KILLER...Frank Quinn is sure he is hunting for a madman: someone who is shooting young women in the heart, defiling their bodies, leaving only the torsos to be found. Quinn, a former NYPD detective, is called into the case by an ambitious chief of police and mobilizes his team of brilliant law-enforcement misfits. But in the concrete canyons of New York, this shocking serial murder case is turning into something very different. . .A COP AND A VICTIM FIGHT BACK...Jill Clark came to the city with too many hopes and too little cash. Now a seemingly deranged woman is telling her an extraordinary story. New to an exclusive dating service, Jill is warned that other women have died on their dates-and that she could be next. Struggling against a death trap closing in around her, Jill has a powerful ally in Frank Quinn. But no one knows the true motives behind a rampage of cold-blooded murder-or how much more terrifying this is going to get. . .

Snow falls on the innocent and guilty alike...Heavy weather, and it's still only November. D I McLusky has settled into his new job in Bristol but the severe freeze shows an unfamiliar side to the city. After the conviction of a drug baron earlier in the year a new kingpin secures the hub of drug crime in Bristol. But how secure does he feel?A series of seemingly unconnected murders, accidents and dying drug users, investigated by McLusky and his team, slowly reveal the web of violence that spreads across the city. Narrow strips of a cut-up photograph arriving piecemeal at the Bristol Herald's offices may hold vital clues but will the completed puzzle reach McLusky in time to prevent more deaths?The private lives of both McLusky and his rival D I Kat Fairfield take unexpected turns too, making the atmosphere at Albany Road station, already considerably cooled by the failed heating system, icier still...Praise for Peter Helton's :'Skilful plotting, wry humour and deftly drawn characters mark this debut' Library Journal'Helton provides breezy prose and a lively cast' Kirkus Reviews'Lively prose and a vivid picture of the city of Bath' Publishers Weekly'Helton has created a wonderfully caustic main character who careens through this action-packed debut' Booklist

A long-dead climber who comes in from the cold brings murder to the mountain air.Mountaineer Reginald Kincaid was believed to have died during an expedition to climb Mount Everest. It comes as a shock to his fellow climbers when he turns up again 22 years later and the mystery is compounded by the death of Arthur Fleece, Kincaid's climbing partner on the Everest attempt. Fleece falls to his death on Mount Snowdon in an apparent accident, but the feud that had developed between Fleece and the resurrected Kincaid sparks a murder investigation for George Gently with a 'dead' man as the prime suspect. Praise for Alan Hunter's Gently books:'It is always a pleasure to look forward to another Gently book by Alan Hunter ...' Police Review

Speed makes the teenage bikers feel alive, but they soon find that murder is the fastest way to dieA five-mile stretch of arrow-straight road outside Latchford acts like a magnet to beatnik bikers using the road like a drag strip. When one of the bikers is killed in an accident, most people regard it as an inevitable consequence of the kids using drugs and racing bikes for kicks. But the evidence points to the young man's death being something more sinister than a mere accident and George Gently is drawn into a world populated by disaffected teenagers, with a jazz soundtrack and a background of murder.Praise for Alan Hunter's Gently books:'It is always a pleasure to look forward to another Gently book by Alan Hunter ...' Police Review

The death of a young artist leaves Gently desperately piecing together the portrait of a murderer.When artist Shirley Johnson is murdered and her body dumped outside a provincial police headquarters, Gently is despatched from London to Northshire to take over the investigation. The prime suspect appears to be the woman's husband, a former bomber pilot with a guilty secret, but the other members of the woman's art group also have strong views about her and her controversial final painting - Dark Destroyer. With so many suspects to consider, Gently must get to the bottom of the mystery before the murderer manages to slip through his fingers.Praise for Alan Hunter's Gently books:'It is always a pleasure to look forward to another Gently book by Alan Hunter ...' Police Review

When a claimant to the title of Lord Darlymple comes to an unexpected sticky end, the cry goes up: 'Was it murder?'The Honourable Daisy Dalrymple is recruited by her cousin Edgar - the current Lord Dalrymple - to help him find the next heir to the viscountcy. With the involvement of the family lawyer, they come up with four claimants who, along with Daisy, are invited to Fairacres, the family estate, to celebrate Edgar's fiftieth birthday.And they're a mixed bunch. A hotelier from Scarborough, a diamond merchant from South Africa, a mixed-race boy from Trinidad and a sailor from Jamaica. But then the sailor goes missing... and so begins a series of inexplicable and troubling accidents, resulting in the death of one of the would-be heirs. Daisy and her husband, DCI Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, are left wondering who might be behind all of this and, more importantly... who's next?Praise for the Daisy Dalrymple series:Cunning... appropriate historical detail and witty dialogue are the finishing touches on this engaging 1920s period piece. Publisher's WeeklyAs always, Dunn evokes the life and times of 1920s England while providing a plot that is a cut above the average British cosy. This will delight readers who love country-house mysteries. BooklistFor fans of Dorothy L. Sayers' novels. Library Journal

Daisy's hot on the trail of a murdered writer!September 1926, and Daisy's in Derbyshire, visiting an old school friend who's currently employed by a novelist as his personal secretary. Sylvia Richmond has asked Daisy to investigate discreetly as she suspects something is seriously amiss with him. Upon arrival, Daisy finds a household of relatives and friends all living off the hospitality of Humphrey Birtwhistle who has been supporting them through his pseudonymous Western sales. When he took ill a while back Sylvia carried on penning the books, only to find that her versions led to an increase in sales and advances. And now she fears someone in the house is poisoning Birtwhistle to keep him ill and keep Sylvia writing the better paid versions.Before Daisy can even begin a bit of decent investigating however, Birtwhistle dies under suspicious circumstances - and Daisy now faces a death to untangle with a household of suspects... and a husband who is less pleased to find his wife in the centre of a murder investigation!Praise for the Daisy Dalrymple series:Cunning... appropriate historical detail and witty dialogue are the finishing touches on this engaging 1920s period piece. Publisher's WeeklyAs always, Dunn evokes the life and times of 1920s England while providing a plot that is a cut above the average British cosy. This will delight readers who love country-house mysteries. BooklistFor fans of Dorothy L. Sayers' novels. Library Journal

Most of us believe that we possess a self - an internal individual who resides inside our bodies, making decisions, authoring actions and possessing free will. The feeling that a single, unified, enduring self inhabits the body - the 'me' inside me - is compelling and inescapable. This is how we interact as a social animal and judge each other's actions and deeds. But that sovereignty of the self is increasingly under threat from science as our understanding of the brain advances. Rather than a single entity, the self is really a constellation of mechanisms and experiences that create the illusion of the internal you.We only emerge as a product of those around us as part of the different storylines we inhabit from the cot to the grave. It is an ever changing character, created by the brain to provide a coherent interface between the multitude of internal processes and the external world demands that require different selves.

An anthology focusing on newer elements of steampunk, one which deconstructs the staples of the genre and expands on them, rather than simply repeating them, with a greater spread both in terms of location and character. This is steampunk with a modern, post-colonial sensibility.Contributors include: Jeff VanderMeer, Caitl n Kiernan, Mary Robinette Kowal, Jay Lake, Cherie Priest, Cat Rambo, Catherynne M. Valente, Genevieve Valentine and many more.