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A brand new omnibus of 55 short stories, presented for the first time in chronological order. Described by her friend Dolly Bantry as ' the typical old maid of fiction', Miss Marple has lived almost her entire life in the sleepy hamlet of St Mary Mead. Yet, by observing village life she has gained an unparalleled insight into human nature -- and used it to devasting effect. As her friend Sir Henry Clithering, the ex-Commissioner of Scotland Yard has been heard to say: 'She's just the finest detective God ever made.' -- and many Agatha Christie fans would agree. Appearing for the first time in The Murder at The Vicarage (1930) her crime-fighting career spanned over forty years when she solved her final case in 1977 in Sleeping Murder. With every tale flawlessly plotted by the Queen of C

At last – the complete collection of over 50 Hercule Poirot short stories in a single volume! Hercule Poirot had a passion for order, for rational thought, and had a justified confidence in his deductive genius. No matter what the provocation, he always remained calm. The shrewd little detective with the egg-shaped head and the enormous black moustache was created by one of the world's greatest storytellers, Agatha Christie, who excelled at the art of short story writing. Only she could have devised the cases worthy of Poirot's skill, the ingenious mysteries that challenge the reader as well as the detective. There is a spectacular diversity in the plots and themes of these cases, ranging from very brief tales to full-length novellas. Violent murders, poisonings, kidnappings and thef

When asked what he does, Robert Fulghum usually replies that he is a philosopher, and explains that what he likes to do is to think about everyday things and then to express what he thinks by writing, speaking or painting. All I Really Need To Know is a collection of his favourite observations, written over the years, that reveal simple truths about small lives with big meanings. Like the things he learned in the sandpit at Sunday School: share everything; play fair; don′t hit people; put things back where you found them; clean up your own mess; say you′re sorry when you hurt somebody, and so on. His uncommon thoughts on common things hold true, clear and firm however complicated or sophisticated the situation - and they are bound to raise the spirits and to warm the heart.

When Bill Masen wakes up blindfolded in hospital there is a bitter irony in his situation. Carefully removing his bandages, he realizes that he is the only person who can see: everyone else, doctors and patients alike, have been blinded by a meteor shower. Now, with civilization in chaos, the triffids - huge, venomous, large-rooted plants able to 'walk', feeding on human flesh - can have their day.

The Day of the Triffids, published in 1951, expresses many of the political concerns of its time: the Cold War, the fear of biological experimentation and the man-made apocalypse. However, with its terrifyingly believable insights into the genetic modification of plants, the book is more relevant today than ever before.

The Return of the King is the third part of JRR Tolkien's epic masterpiece The Lord of the Rings. This 50th anniversary edition features special packaging and is the first paperback edition to include the definitive edition of the text. Impossible to describe in a few words, JRR Tolkien's great work of imaginative fiction has been labelled both a heroic romance and a classic fantasy fiction. By turns comic and homely, epic and diabolic, the narrative moves through countless changes of scene and character in an imaginary world which is totally convincing in its detail. Tolkien created a vast new mythology in an invented world which has proved timeless in its appeal. Now, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its first publication, the text has been fully restored with almost 400 correcti

There's Young Agnes, who is really in two minds about everything. Magrat, who is trying to combine witchcraft and nappies, Nanny Ogg…and Granny Weatherwax, who is big trouble. And the vampires are intelligent. They've got style and fancy waistcoats. They're out of the casket, and want a bite of the future. Mightily Oats knows he has a prayer, but wishes he had an axe. Carpe Jugulum is Terry Pratchett's twenty-third Discworld Novel - but the first to star vampires.

Set in Hardy's Wessex, Tess is a moving novel of hypocrisy and double standards. Its challenging sub-title, A Pure Woman, infuriated critics when the book was first published in 1891, and it was condemned as immoral and pessimistic. It tells of Tess Durbeyfield, the daughter of a poor and dissipated villager, who learns that she may be descended from the ancient family of d'Urbeville. In her search for respectability her fortunes fluctuate wildly, and the story assumes the proportions of a Greek tragedy. It explores Tess's relationships with two very different men, her struggle against the social mores of the rural Victorian world which she inhabits and the hypocrisy of the age.

Tom Sawyer loves adventures. He has them at home, at school, and with his friends —Huck Finn, Joe Harper, and Becky Thatcher. Tom has one adventure in a graveyard, one in an old house, one in a cave. Who does he see in those places—and why is he afraid?

Norma is always right. But has she got the right train tickets? What happens when Mrs Roberts has coffee with Mrs Price? And is David ready for his wedding? The answers are in these six sketches.

Kim is running through the streets of the old town. She is frightened. A man with dark eyes and a knife is looking for her. He is going to catch her. This holiday in beautiful Barcelona is suddenly very dangerous. Where is Kim’s friend Dave? What can she do?

After his parents die, young David Balfour goes to the house of his uncle Ebenezer. But his uncle is a dangerous man. When he puts David on a ship to America, a difficult and dangerous time begins. But who is the stranger on the ship? Can he help David?