Showing results by narrator "Gareth Bennett-Ryan" in All Categories

'The World of Shadow' introduces The Doll Funeral and delves further into one of the characters in the book - Shadow. Shadow flits through The Doll Funeral; he has a close but often tempestuous relationship with the hero, Ruby. In the short story, we rewind back and see a snapshot of his life, find out more about his connection with Ruby and experience the life, pain and love of this boy who has such a profound influence on the course of the book.

When Will - soon to be known as 'Posh Lad' - starts as an apprentice for Stanley Lampitt, he expects horses, fresh air and a solid training in forge-work and horses. What he gets is Stanley, 'six-foot-six of tattooed muscle, with a gleaming shaven head', and Ewan, raised at the bad end of the Cribbs Estate. It's a baptism of fire. After a rocky start - Will doesn't drink Yorkshire tea - the three settle into a rhythm, barrelling around Yorkshire in a series of dodgy vans, forging iron and shoeing horses.

'My name is Ruby. I live with Barbara and Mick. They're not my real parents, but they tell me what to do and what to say. I'm supposed to say that my bruises and black eye came from falling down the stairs. But there are things I won't say. I won't tell them I'm going to hunt for my real parents. I'm going to be with my real family. And I'm not going to let Mick stop me.'

The peace of a Yorkshire town is disturbed when one of its most prominent residents is murdered. Inspector Blades and Sergeant Peacock investigate. With the murder weapon found near the body, the detectives hope that fingerprints will help them discover the killer. But it is clear that they are dealing with a cunning perpetrator who has covered all their tracks. With various leads running into dead ends, the answers will come from understanding the victim’s character and the killer’s motive.

Determined not to waste his life toiling for his cruel brother, Silas arrives in town to seek his fortune. Harriet has reconciled herself to a life of domestic service for her austere uncle. And John Gunson, Chief Engineer at the Sheffield Waterworks Company, has just completed his crowning glory – the Dale Dyke dam. But one stormy night, the unthinkable happens. The dam bursts. Fatefully brought together, Silas and Harriet must now contend with their families as new love blooms. Meanwhile, Gunson faces not only an angry community but also a court of inquest looking for a scapegoat.

Mark Perlstrom is no stranger to money laundering, drug smuggling and crooked firms. In the late 1980s he started working for HM Customs and was quickly thrown in the deep end, joining Operation C-Chase, an undercover investigation that penetrated Pablo Escobar's mighty Medellin cartel and stopped London's gangs from moving their ill-gotten gains around the capital. Told by a true insider, India Uniform Nine lays bare the intense rivalry between crime-fighting organizations and how that leads to corruption, chaos and scarcely believable antics in the covert world.

When Jane Bell uncovered that her next-door neighbour planned to blow up their local primary school, she tried to get the police to listen to her. When they chose to do nothing, she took matters into her own hands. Jane Bell saved the children. She is a hero. She stopped a terrorist attack. She murdered a man. Jane Bell committed a crime, and no matter what her reasons are, surely she must face the legal repercussions of her actions? Now several people follow Jane’s case, each with their own thoughts on what happened. Is Jane the hero or the villain? It’s up to you to decide.

1942. Hull, East Yorkshire - It is the most heavily bombed city outside of London—but for the sake of national morale, the Hull Blitz is kept top secret. Only the politicians in Whitehall and Hull's citizens themselves know of the true chaos. Newly posted Inspector Ambrose Swift cannot believe the devastation he finds. But for Swift and his two deputies—part-time bare-knuckle boxer Jim 'Little' Weighton and Dales farmer's daughter Kathleen Carver—it's murder, not the war, that's at the forefront of their minds.

Megan thinks that she has the perfect husband and the perfect life. Craig works so that she doesn't have to, leaving her free to relax all day in their beautiful and secluded country home. But when she starts to long for friends and purpose again, Megan applies for a job in London, much to her husband's disappointment. She thinks that he is upset because she is unhappy. But she has no idea. After Megan goes against his wishes and attends the interview, Craig decides that it is time to act.

Sometimes it's love at first sight. Sometimes it takes a while. But the staff at Woodgreen are always there to look after their canine guests until they find the right permanent home. From big to small and pedigree to the scruffiest pooch, no effort is spared to find each and every one a new family who will give them the love they deserve. Rehoming a dog is a big commitment, but also a privilege and a huge joy when the right match is made. Finding a Forever Home shares some of the heartwarming and inspiring stories of once-lost dogs.

Amy is a loving wife and mother to her husband and two children, Michael and Bella. It's that dedication to her family that causes her to seek help for her teenage son when it becomes apparent he is going to fail his end of school exams. Enlisting the help of a professional tutor, Amy is certain that she is doing the best thing for her child. But when she discovers that there is more to this tutor than meets the eye, it is already too late. With the rest of her family enamoured, Amy is the only one who can see that there is something not quite right about her.

Michael Beaumont is head over heels in love with Alison, the woman of his dreams. But Alison is harbouring a dangerous secret, one that threatens to break loose once Michael introduces her to his last remaining relative, Grandmother Rose.

Rose's outburst upon meeting Alison seems like more than just a simple delusion. And something about the string of murders terrorizing London, with incidents occurring just blocks from Michael, feels like more than just a coincidence....

Jack, Milo, Robin and Big Rock are back with a new friend - Blaze, the magical phoenix. The gang plan to take on notorious bully, Buster Gutt. Soon Jack finds himself and his alter-ego THUD in some seriously hot water.... In the second story, villainous Lord Veto tries to break up the wrestling trolls. Soon Princess Ava is caught in the middle of a wrestling tournament! The brave trolls must come together for glory once more.

From the author of The Palace of Curiosities and Vixen comes a bold new novel exploring questions of identity, sexual equality and how well we really know ourselves. Rich are the delights of late 19th-century Manchester for young siblings Edie and Gnome. They bicker, banter, shout and scream their way through the city's streets, embracing its charms and dangers. But as the pair grow up, it is Gnome who revels in the nighttime while Edie wakes exhausted each morning.

Ash's dad has returned from war, close to a breakdown and lost in a world of imaginary threats. Meanwhile, Ash's best friend, Mark, is grieving and has drifted away into his own nightmares. Ash's only escape is his lonely mountain running, training to be the stag boy in the annual Stag Chase. But dark things are stirring. Could Mark and Dad be haunted by more than just their pasts?

Waldo's Wrestling Trolls are back, and they're ready to rumble! But the villainous Lord Veto has other plans. Challenged to a Giant Rumble but suffering from a shortfall of wrestlers, Jack and his friends set out to find more participants for their great battle. But what starts as a fun-filled road trip in their trusty caravan soon becomes an action-packed adventure filled with dangers such as farting billy goats, poisonous spiders and evil servants of the wicked King Nugget.

Willem has Asperger’s Syndrome and two main aims in life: to fly and to make at least two friends of his own age. As he stands on the edge of a wall, Sasha gives him a wink. Might she become his friend? As he flies through the air he wishes he could fly and escape. Instead he comes crashing down and breaks his ankle. Sasha is determined to put things right.

It's hard being that woman, the one whose husband disappeared. He went out five years ago for a pint of milk and never came back. So here I am with a daughter who blames me for everything, a son trying his best to pick up the pieces and a gaggle of neighbours who are incredibly nosy. Then I find a left luggage ticket in the pocket of one of his old coats and suddenly I'm thinking... What if he's not dead? What if he's still out there somewhere?

Jack is doing fantastically well as the Wrestling Trolls' training coach, Big Rock is winning matches, and the group are on their way to more gold than they can count. Nothing ever goes smoothly for Jack, though, especially after Milo is kidnapped by evil goblins determined to get their greedy hands on Big Rock's winnings! The wrestling crew know that they will have to be very quick and clever if they want to rescue Milo.

An incredible debut novel: a coming-of-age tale set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire Ripper murders, ‘full of daring, authenticity and wit' (Rachel Cusk). "The milkman found her. On Prince Philip Playing Fields. He crossed the dew-soaked grass toward what he took to be a bundle of clothes, but then he came across a discarded shoe, and then t' mutilated body. Her name wor Wilma McCann." Leeds, late 1975, and a body has been found on Prince Philip Playing Fields.