During a trade union conference in Bournemouth two young, blonde and very attractive delegates are murdered by a serial killer. The two main characters are Stella Steel and Ailsa Morgan, are very... More > attractive women. They encounter an odd character by the name of Maxwell Scrivens. He is a very nervous man and strange man. He begins to stalk Ailsa, who is young, blonde and beautiful.
On the fourth night, Ailsa goes missing. There is no doubt that the killer has taken her. The race is on to find her before it is too late. Then the police get a breakthrough. Investigations single out the only possible culprit - a member of the union’s Executive Council. He is the least likely perpetrator. He is very effeminate and thought to be homosexual. Interviewing him, the police get nowhere. They call in two female psychologists to delve into the man’s character. The outcome of their consultations with him is an almost unbelievable and shocking revelation.< Less
Set in 1944, this is the story of how children coped with the rigours of wartime. It is not a war story; it is a Home Front story. We join them in their experiences, follow them in their adventures,... More > and watch them as they handle the incidents in which they become involved.
The main characters are four lads, aged eleven and twelve years of age, living in the town were I was born and grew up, Bolton, Lancashire. They associate with numerous other children of various ages. We find them in the streets, in school and in Sunday School.
We follow them on a day trip to Blackpool, an experience which is unique to most the poor children of the district. Their parents range from the kind and gentle and understanding, to cruel and violent.
It is a humorous tale, for the most part, that readers of all ages can, and will, enjoy.< Less
The true story of a boy and his family and how they endured the effects of the war and coped with shortages and rationing. He was born in 1936 at the depths of the Depression. His father was laid off... More > work due the lack of demand for cotton goods, only going to the mill at widely-spaced intervals. Without the Welfare State which came later, the lives of the families of all cotton operatives was extremely hard, with little else to look forward to except a bleak future.
Then came the war, which, due to the sudden and momentous increase in demand for cotton goods, was of benefit to workers - if no one else. Only after the war was over did the people of the cotton industry really benefit see big improvements in their lives.< Less
The true story of a boy and his family and how they endured the effects of the war and coped with shortages and rationing. He was born in 1936 at the depths of the Depression. His father was laid off... More > work due the lack of demand for cotton goods, only going to the mill at widely-spaced intervals. Without the Welfare State which came later, the lives of the families of all cotton operatives was extremely hard, with little else to look forward to except a bleak future.
Then came the war, which, due to the sudden and momentous increase in demand for cotton goods, was of benefit to workers - if no one else. Only after the war was over did the people of the cotton industry really benefit see big improvements in their lives.< Less
A detailed history of witchcraft and witches since its introduction into Great Britain in the mid-1550’s, up to the abolition of witchcraft trials in the early 1700’s. A thoroughly... More > researched description of the women accused of witchcraft and their alleged powers acquired from their association with the devil.
Witch-hunters are also featured, as are their methods of discovering proof of contamination by the evil fiend. There is also mention of exorcisms, plus the disagreements between the various religions concerning the validity of witchcraft, its proof and the differing methods of dealing with the cases.< Less
The witches, Elizabeth Device, Mother Chattox and Old Demdike have been terrorising the villagers for many years. Master Thomas Potts, a witch-hunter from London, tries to bring the local witches to... More > justice. The conflict between the local gentry, the Asshetons, and the witches leads to many adventures and dangerous situations. The witches conjure up spirits and ‘familiars’ to battle with the Asshetons. Alizon, Elizabeth’s daughter, a beautiful girl in the teens, falls in love with Richard Assheton, which in itself is not without its problems. Old Demdike kidnaps Alizon and plans to sacrifice her to the devil, leading to a confrontation atop Pendle Hill with a large coven of witches. During a visit by King James I to Hoghton Tower, he ‘knights’ Loin of Beef and christens it Sirloin of beef. Eventually the Witches are rounded up and carried off to Lancaster Castle to meet their fate. Before the day is over, tragedy strikes the Asshetons.< Less
Janet and Michael Sommers are recently married. They have moved into Janet’s family home, following her mother’s early demise from cancer. They discover a hidden entrance to a basement,... More > which contains a large collection of Egyptian artefacts.
Janet’s grandfather, who also inhabited the house, had been an Importer and Exporter of works of art from the Far East. They suspect that his business was not totally legitimate and that some of the treasures they have found are illegal imports. A mysterious stranger calls on them looking for information about grandfather. He visited Janet’s mother also, many years previously.
There is also a large hoard of old bank notes, which are now no longer legal tender. What do they do with their finds? After some consideration, they find a way of disposing of them to their advantage.
Another find is a diary written by Janet’s mother when she was in her early twenties. The contents shock and, in parts, disgusts Janet when she discovers her mother's secret past.< Less
Maggie Shaw, on a day of total madness, decides to shave her head, right down to a shiny dome. Realising that her head will now be cold, and that she can’t wear hats all the time, she decides... More > to buy a wig. Three wigs in fact. A blonde, a ginger wig, and a black one. When she tries them on in Wig Wam Bam, Wig Emporium, under the guidance of the owner, Miss Elvira, she notices that each one changes her features. She hardly recognises herself in the mirror.
When she begins to wear the wigs, each one alters her character and personality. The blonde wig turns her into a flirty, sexy and a little promiscuous young woman. The ginger wig allows her to live her secret, wildest dream. She becomes a jazz singer, with enough talent to make her an overnight sensation. The black wig takes to the ‘dark side.’ Without knowing how, she falls in with a pagan religious sect.
All of her three lives have their up side and their down side. Which one brings her to the very edge of disaster?< Less
These true stories of witches were collected by E. Lynn Linton and published in 1861. Scotland seems to have had more than its share of women who were thought to be in league with the devil. Although... More > England had a large number of witch trials of its own.
The stories in the book related the accusations against suspected witches, their trials and their punishment. Other information included is the extent to which the women were tortured before they made their ‘voluntary’ confessions.
Witch hunters are featured, as are the men whose common sense and lack of superstition brought an end to the persecution of innocent women who had been accused through spite and revenge.< Less
Tanesia Cleopatra Jones is a twenty-two year old music tutor at the local collage. She gets a surprise visit from a solicitor who tells her that her great great-aunt, who she has never met has... More > bequeathed all her worldly possessions to her. The great great-aunt, she learns, fought with the Resistance in France during the Second World War, behind enemy lines. There she met a Polish Count, whom she married at the wars end and went to live in his country. After her husband’s early demise, she moved back to England. She was discovered dead one morning in mysterious circumstances. Tanesia learns that the Countess had been involved in espionage whilst she was in Poland, and was being hounded by her enemies. Tanesia is visited by thugs trying the get their hands on the Countess papers. She and her best friend, Dawn are beat up. Then, her family home is attacked by the thugs. A gun battle ensuses involving British Special Forces.< Less
