Showing results by narrator "Genevieve Swallow" in All Categories

DC Sam Shephard is stationed in Dunedin CIB, a newbie at the bottom of the pecking order. When a young university student is found battered to death and floating in the Leith, she is pushed to one side by her boss and only given grunt work. Despite this, it is Sam who discovers that there has been a string of unsolved murders on the South Island, and that each has occurred while a travelling circus was in town - the same circus that is presently in Dunedin.

West Cork, Ireland, 1900. The year marks the start of a new century and the birth of three very different women: Kitty Deverill, the flame-haired Anglo-Irish daughter of the castle; Bridie Doyle, the daughter of the Irish cook; and Celia Deverill, Kitty's flamboyant English cousin. Together they grow up in the dreamy grounds of the family's grand estate, Castle Deverill. Yet their peaceful way of life will soon be threatened by Ireland's struggle for independence.

Someone is out to murder Detective Constable Bailey Morgan before she can testify in an upcoming trial. Using her undercover skills, Bailey embarks on a dangerous mission to help the police catch this elusive killer before it’s too late. But it won’t be easy, for she’s up against a cunning and ruthless adversary who will stop at nothing to eliminate her. A tense game of cat and mouse ensues, leading to a shocking revelation at the heart of which lies the key to Bailey’s survival.

Detective Constable Bailey Morgan is back doing what she does best - working undercover. This time she has to infiltrate the inner circle of a notorious underworld family. Posing as a fellow villain, she is on a one-woman mission to bring the family to their knees. But things are never that simple. Bailey finds that she is forced to confront shadowy wraiths from her past and will come face-to-face with a set of devastating revelations that will shatter her world and threaten her very existence.

1815, Sumbawa Island, Indonesia Mount Tambora explodes in a cataclysmic eruption, killing thousands. Sent to investigate, ship surgeon Henry Hogg can barely believe his eyes. Once a paradise, the island is now solid ash, the surrounding sea turned to stone. But worse is yet to come: as the ash cloud rises and covers the sun, the seasons will fail. 1816. In Switzerland, Mary Shelley finds dark inspiration. Confined inside by the unseasonable weather, thousands of famine refugees stream past her door.

Arethusa Clayton has always been formidable, used to getting her own way. On her death, she leaves unexpected instructions. Instead of being buried in America, on the wealthy East Coast where she and her late husband raised their two children, Arethusa has decreed that her ashes be scattered in a remote corner of Ireland, on the hills overlooking the sea. All Arethusa ever told Faye was that she grew up in a poor farming family and left Ireland, alone, to start a new life in America, as did so many in those times of hardship and famine.

Anarchy hits Dunedin when a cargo ship runs aground on Aramoana Beach amid a crowd of onlookers. One of them discovers a skull in the sand while desperate scavengers fight each other for the best of the bounty. Waking up to the chaos and hurrying outside to give the police a hand, Detective Constable Sam Shephard cops a wallop before her attacker is himself beaten senseless - and she saves his life in the ambulance. Returning to work, she is sent to help recover a body submerged in the water, the autopsy revealing that this was no accidental drowning but a lethal assault.

Josie and Finn seem to lead a charmed life, with successful careers, an enviable relationship and an adorable son. But parenthood is no easy ride when your adorable son is hyperactive. When Josie unexpectedly finds herself pregnant again, her feelings are mixed. How can you love your child yet fear to have another who might be just like him? Finn thinks she's overreacting so she turns to her best friend, Clarky. He’s always been there for her, even if Finn suspects ulterior motives.

It is 1925, and the war is long over. But much has been lost, and life will never be quite the same. Castle Deverill, cherished ancestral home to the Deverill family in the west of Ireland, has burned to the ground. Young and flighty Celia Deverill is determined to restore the sad ruins to its former glory. But dark shadows are gathering once more as the financial markets start to shake, and everything that felt so certain is thrown once again into doubt....

Adam Hamilton-Shaw has more reason than most to avoid commitment. Living on a houseboat in the Severn Valley, his dream is to sail into the sunset - preferably with a woman waiting in every port. Would-be screenplay writer Sienna Meadows realises that everything about Adam spells trouble - but she can't ignore the intense physical attraction that exists between them. But can Adam change his damaging behaviour - or is the road to destruction a one-way street?

Kara has achieved something that no Majat has ever managed – freedom from the Guild! But the Black Diamond assassin Mai has been called back to face his punishment for sparing her life. Determined to join his fight or share his punishment, Kara finds herself falling for Mai. But is their relationship – and the force that makes their union all-powerful – a tool to defeat the overpowering forces of the Kaddim armies, or a distraction sure to cause the downfall of the Majat?

When Prince Kythar falls under attack in his own castle, he has no idea that his enemies are none other than the ancient Kaddim Brotherhood plotting to destroy his royal line. His inborn ability to control the elements is the only power that can stop this plot - but there is one problem. Kyth's fighting skills are no match for the Kaddim, leaving him no time to put his magic to work.

With the discovery of a human head on the fringes of the school, children displaying symptoms of a bloody, unfamiliar contagion and a catastrophic malfunction in the site's security system, the NSA is about to experience a week that no amount of rebranding can conceal. As the academy descends into chaos, teacher Tom Rosen goes looking for answers - but when the real, the unreal and the surreal are indistinguishable, the truth can be difficult to recognise.

A brutal home invasion shocks the nation. A man is murdered, his wife bound, gagged and left to watch. But when Detective Sam Shephard scratches the surface, the victim, a successful businessman, is not all he seems to be. And when the evidence points to two of Dunedin's most hated criminals, the case seems cut and dried...until the body count starts to rise.

The field of mind-body medicine is plagued by wild claims that mislead patients and instil false hope. But as scientists in a range of fields uncover solid evidence that our minds influence our bodies quite profoundly, there is now great promise, too. Jo Marchant attempts to use scientific research to find out if alternative medicines work; if our thoughts, beliefs and emotions influence our physical health; and if we can train our brains to heal our bodies.

On her first day back from maternity leave, Detective Sam Shephard is thrown straight into a cold-case investigation - the unsolved murder of a highly respected Anglican priest in Dunedin. The case has been a thorn in the side of the police hierarchy, and for her boss it's personal. With all the witness testimony painting a picture of a dedicated church and family man, what possible motive could there have been for his murder?

Beth has always known there was something strange about her daughter, Hannah. The lack of emotion, the disturbing behaviour, the apparent delight in hurting others...sometimes Beth is scared of her and what she could be capable of. Luke comes from the perfect family, with the perfect parents. But one day he disappears without trace, and his girlfriend, Clara, is left desperate to discover what has happened to him. As Clara digs into the past, she realises that no family is truly perfect and uncovers a link between Luke’s long-lost sister and a strange girl named Hannah....

The shocking murder of a heavily pregnant woman throws the New Zealand city of Dunedin into a tailspin, and the devastating crime feels uncomfortably close to home for Detective Sam Shephard as she counts down the days to her own maternity leave.

Most people have no idea how to choose well. Their approach to decisions is based on foundations that are incorrect, which makes wise choice-making impossible. The great news is, you don’t need to be one of those people ever again, once you’ve discovered the unique Double Best Method and learned how to make every choice in the best way. Find out how the method works, and you’ll soon be well on your way to becoming a decision-making genius...

When Mirka gets a job in a country house in England, she has no idea of the struggle she faces to make sense of a very English couple and a way of life entirely alien to her. Richard and Sophie are chaotic, drunken, frequently outrageous but also warm, generous and kind, despite their turbulent marriage. After a traumatic break two years ago with her family in Slovakia, Mirka finds she is happy at Fairmont Hall. But when she tells Sophie that she is gay, everything she values is put in danger....