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”.

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A blizzard has hit England. In the tiny village of Sittaford on the fringes of Dartmoor a party of six is gathered in Sittaford House home of Captain Trevelyan. He has rented the house out for the winter and is staying in a nearby village. As evening draws in a seance is proposed. But it reveals more than they had anticipated – TREVELYAN DEAD spells out the board. Slowly the table begins to rock again spelling out the word M-U-R-D-E-R. Is it true? And who would kill a man who doesn’t have an enemy in the world? ; John Moffatt and Stephen Tompkinson star in a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of a classic from the Queen of Crime.

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This is a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring John Moffat as Hercule Poirot. Mrs. McGinty is murdered because she has recognised someone in her village as a notorious killer – but can Hercule Poirot and Ariadne Oliver find out who it is before the killer strikes again?

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Continuing the story begun in The Hobbit this is the first part of Tolkien’s epic masterpiece The Lord of the Rings featuring a striking black cover based on Tolkien’s own design the definitive text and a detailed map of Middle-earth. Sauron the Dark Lord has gathered to him all the Rings of Power — the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring — the ring that rules them all — which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. In a sleepy village in the Shire young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose. Part of a set of three paperbacks this popular edition is once again available in its classic black livery designed by Tolkien himself.

Price : £ 6.99

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Continuing the story begun in The Hobbit this is the first part of Tolkien’s epic masterpiece The Lord of the Rings featuring a striking black cover based on Tolkien’s own design the definitive text and a detailed map of Middle-earth. Sauron the Dark Lord has gathered to him all the Rings of Power — the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring — the ring that rules them all — which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. In a sleepy village in the Shire young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose. Part of a set of three paperbacks this popular edition is once again available in its classic black livery designed by Tolkien himself.

Price : £ 6.99

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This title includes the radio adventures of MC Beaton’s famous amateur sleuth. ; ; The Quiche Of Death: Struggling to adapt to life in a Cotswold village after a lifetime spent in Public Relations Agatha Raisin determines to make her mark by winning the local baking competition. When the judge is poisoned by her efforts she investigates only to uncover a web of extra-marital sex and pastry-based favours. So much for the quiet life! ; ; The Vicious Vet: Determined to find out who killed the village vet Agatha and James must resort to barefaced lies burglary and badger-watching.

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