For an instant the two trains ran together side by side. In that frozen moment Elspeth witnessed a murder. Helplessly she stared out of her carriage window as a man remorselessly tightened his grip around a woman’s throat. The body crumpled. Then the other train drew away. ; ; But who apart from Miss Marple would take her story seriously? After all there were no suspects no other witnesses… and no corpse. ; ; This version is a Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring June Whitfield as the deceptively mild Miss Marple.

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With prose that is every bit as raw, intense and bitingly honest as the world it depicts, Barry Hines’ “A Kestrel for a Knave” contains a new afterword by the author in “Penguin Modern Classics”. Life is tough and cheerless for Billy Casper, a troubled teenager growing up in the small Yorkshire mining town of Barnsley. Treated as a failure at school, and unhappy at home, Billy discovers a new passion in life when he finds Kes, a kestrel hawk. Billy identifies with her silent strength and she inspires in him the trust and love that nothing else can, discovering through her the passion missing from his life. Barry Hines’ acclaimed novel continues to reach new generations of teenagers and adults with its powerful story of survival in a tough, joyless world. Ken Loach’s renowned film adaptation, “Kes”, has achieved cult status and in his new afterword Barry Hines discusses his work to adapt the novel into a screenplay, and reappraises the legacy of a book that has become a popular classic. Barry Hines (b. 1939) was born in the mining village of Hoyland Common, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire.Leaving Ecclesfield Grammar School without any qualifications, Hines worked as an apprentice mining surveyor for the National Coal Board before entering Loughborough Training College to study Physical Education. Working as a teacher in Hoyland Common, he wrote novels in the school library after work, later turning to writing full-time. If you enjoyed “A Kestrel for a Knave”, you might like “The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and Other Stories” by Jack London, published in “Penguin Classics”.

Price : £ 6.29

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Diana Dors is a legend. Not only has she become embedded in the U.K. psyche but is very much alive in the U.K. imagination. Her fame has survived from the adored celebrity of the 50’s to the cult figure of today’s younger generation. Not surprising as she is arguably the biggest star the U.K. has produced. Not only has she appeared in 75 films, written four books, released an L.P. and had her own newspaper columns and television shows but her generosity, incredible bravery, lack of airs and graces, her warmth and compassion and her wit and intelligence have endeared her to millions.From the age of eight Diana Dors had a huge passionate dream. She was determined to become a wealthy, famous, film star. It was a dream that challenged the seemingly impossible being an ordinary looking child, coming from an ordinary family, living in an ordinary town. Yet, against the odds she made her dream come true. The story of how this happened is a fascinating one. “Connecting Dors” not only tells that story but explores the consequences of that celebrity/stardom not only on herself but on her son, Jason.It discusses the impact of “celebrity” on human dynamics, on family dynamics, especially on motherhood. It examines the pitfalls and rewards of being the child of a famous celebrity. Jason’s story is not only a continuation of the Diana Dors story but an integral part of that story that relies not only on Jason himself but on the people who were close to the Dors family, some of whom, celebrities in their own right I have been privileged to meet. “Connecting Dors” is both informative and entertaining. It recounts incidents and anecdotes from Diana Dors’ life – wild tales involving her friends – Hollywood stars, villains, rogues and rascals. It recounts tales which are poignant, hilarious, shocking and disturbing both from Diana’s life and from Jason’s star-studded life and beyond. It contains both humour and pathos. It explores the legacy of Diana Dors both national, social and personal. It is an important story which has never been told.

Price : £ 14.99

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Diana Dors is a legend. Not only has she become embedded in the U.K. psyche but is very much alive in the U.K. imagination. Her fame has survived from the adored celebrity of the 50’s to the cult figure of today’s younger generation. Not surprising as she is arguably the biggest star the U.K. has produced. Not only has she appeared in 75 films, written four books, released an L.P. and had her own newspaper columns and television shows but her generosity, incredible bravery, lack of airs and graces, her warmth and compassion and her wit and intelligence have endeared her to millions.From the age of eight Diana Dors had a huge passionate dream. She was determined to become a wealthy, famous, film star. It was a dream that challenged the seemingly impossible being an ordinary looking child, coming from an ordinary family, living in an ordinary town. Yet, against the odds she made her dream come true. The story of how this happened is a fascinating one. “Connecting Dors” not only tells that story but explores the consequences of that celebrity/stardom not only on herself but on her son, Jason.It discusses the impact of “celebrity” on human dynamics, on family dynamics, especially on motherhood. It examines the pitfalls and rewards of being the child of a famous celebrity. Jason’s story is not only a continuation of the Diana Dors story but an integral part of that story that relies not only on Jason himself but on the people who were close to the Dors family, some of whom, celebrities in their own right I have been privileged to meet. “Connecting Dors” is both informative and entertaining. It recounts incidents and anecdotes from Diana Dors’ life – wild tales involving her friends – Hollywood stars, villains, rogues and rascals. It recounts tales which are poignant, hilarious, shocking and disturbing both from Diana’s life and from Jason’s star-studded life and beyond. It contains both humour and pathos. It explores the legacy of Diana Dors both national, social and personal. It is an important story which has never been told.

Price : £ 14.99

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One of the most controversial tales from Batman’s career returns as a deluxe hardback edition! ; ; When the Joker commits an unspeakable crime Batman must use all his skill to outwit the crazed criminal. But in the end how different are the Dark Knight and his quarry? ; ; Legendary writer Alan Moore and artist Brian Bolland present this all-time classic story digitally recoloured and featuring a bonus black and white story by Bolland. ; ; This is essential for every Batman and graphic novels fan!

Price : £ 7.89

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In September 2009 movie star Patrick Swayze lost his long and bravely fought battle against pancreatic cancer. His was a life richly led and this memoir, completed just weeks before his death, is a testament to the strength and passion of this remarkable man. It was January 2008 when Patrick Swayze was given the worst news of his life. What he hoped was just a stomach ache was actually stage four pancreatic cancer. This book isn’t just the story of Patrick’s fight against cancer, it’s the story of a remarkable life and career. Intended as a low budget, straight-to-video production, Dirty Dancing became a cult hit and remains one of the most enduring films of the 80s. Ghost cemented Patrick as a hugely bankable star, and most recently Patrick returned to the public’s adoring arms in TV’s The Beast. This book will chronicle Patrick’s personal life, too — including his treatment for alcoholism following the death of his father and sister’s sudden death. What remained a constant in Patrick’s life was his marriage and Patrick and Lisa’s love story is inspiring, honest, heartfelt and transcends the typical celebrity marriage.Lisa and Patrick have shown the world that cancer isn’t just a diagnosis given to one individual, but a disease that can bring a household together or pull a family apart. Bold, honest and inspiring, Patrick Swayze’s memoir is the story of a remarkable man’s life and career and of his refusal to give up without a fight.

Price : £ 0.65

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One of the most controversial tales from Batman’s career returns as a deluxe hardback edition! ; ; When the Joker commits an unspeakable crime Batman must use all his skill to outwit the crazed criminal. But in the end how different are the Dark Knight and his quarry? ; ; Legendary writer Alan Moore and artist Brian Bolland present this all-time classic story digitally recoloured and featuring a bonus black and white story by Bolland. ; ; This is essential for every Batman and graphic novels fan!

Price : £ 7.89

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Mark Blake’s history of Pink Floyd – the first for fifteen years – has already been acknowledged as the final word on this remarkable band’s life. Lucidly written, incorporating over a hundred new and exclusive interviews, it covers Pink Floyd from their Cambridge beginnings in the early sixties to their triumphant re-formation at Live 8 in 2005 24 years after their last live performance together and the death of their troubled founder-member Syd Barrett a year later. Pink Floyd’s albums like Dark Side of the Moon remain some of rock’s biggest sellers of all every year on CD; Both David Gilmour and Roger Waters continue to do arena and stadium gigs, and the market for this book will exist for many years. In hardback it has reprinted four times already. Aurum’s earlier book about the Clash by Blake’s Mojo stablemate Pat Gilbert, Passion is a Fashion, has so far sold over 22,000 in paperback – and the Floyd cult is far larger. Everyone has commented on the superb “flying pig” cover art and the spine treatment visible right across the bookshop: both are retained for this paperback edition.Mark Blake is a contributing editor at Mojo and Q magazines, and the editor of books on Punk and Bob Dylan. He is currently editing The Wit & Wisdom of Keith Richards for Aurum. He lives in Croydon.

Price : £ 6.99

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In “Post Everything”, Luke Haines demonstrates that the only way to survive the tyrannical scourge of Britpop is to become an Outsider. The ‘avant-garde Arthur Scargill’ calls upon the nation’s pop stars to down tools and go on strike. We learn the story of Haines’ post-Britpop art house trio Black Box Recorder (Chas and Dave with a chanteuse), we meet a talking cat, two dead rappers (Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur), a mystical England football manager, and a shady transgender German Professor – exponent of a dangerous and radical ‘Beatles denial’ cult and author of “The Theorem of the Moron” (the most important book about rock that you’ve never heard of). Haines even finds time to write a musical for the National Theatre. Blisteringly funny and searingly scathing, “Post Everything” may quite possibly be the first and only truly surreal comic rock memoir. It even contains a killer recipe for scrambled eggs.

Price : £ 6.19

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