Showing results by narrator "Jake Ruddle" in All Categories

I do not think Forres Manor is haunted. The ancestral Scottish home my ailing aunt manages is dark, solitary, and falling into ruin, but as a man of science I cannot support her notions that a ghostly woman dwells upstairs. My only aim is to give medical assistance to my aunt. But here, the vicious past melds into the present. Perhaps I'm running from ghosts too.

In 1930s London, celebrity psychiatrist Anselm Rees is discovered dead in his locked study, and there seems to be no way that a killer could have escaped unseen. There are no clues, no witnesses, and no evidence of the murder weapon. Stumped by the confounding scene, the Scotland Yard detective on the case calls on retired stage magician-turned-part-time sleuth Joseph Spector. For who better to make sense of the impossible than one who traffics in illusions?

In Lutesia, middle-aged farmer Graith isn’t one for adventure. He'll leave that to the young and stupid. But when a dying dragon takes refuge in his barn with the rest of the kingdom hunting her, he doesn’t hesitate to help her. Before she is even fully healed, Azelia reveals she desperately needs to get back to her cave to protect her clutch of eggs.

Held at a remote gothic estate, the three-day ball is rife with monstrous nobles all determined to claim a mate. They'll do whatever it takes to seduce her into hidden corners, to tempt her into signing a marriage contract. Escaping with her spinsterhood intact seems impossible, until she spots her childhood crush: the now monstrous Duke of Roth.

Cursed Britain unveils the enduring power of witchcraft, curses, and black magic in modern times. Few topics are so secretive or controversial. Yet, whether in the 1800s or the early 2000s, when disasters struck or personal misfortunes mounted, many Britons found themselves believing in things they had previously dismissed—dark supernatural forces. Historian Thomas Waters here explores the lives of cursed or bewitched people, along with the witches and witch-busters who helped and harmed them.

Against all odds, Firian Kess is accepted into the Academy, where he discovers the power of the Unreal—a waking dreamscape where Tanyu meet to fight. Right away, Firian sets his sights on becoming the best Tanyuin warrior in history. When Kiria, royal heir to the throne, gets injured in an attack, the Academy sends Firian to be her protector. Her earnest spirit and magical beauty draw him in, but she doesn’t trust his advances. To be a good ruler, she must sacrifice her own desires. As they battle mutual attraction, they learn they’re mere pawns in a greater game of power.

In London, 1938, young and idealistic lawyer Edmund Ibbs is trying to find any shred of evidence that his client Carla Dean wasn't the one who shot her husband dead at the top of a Ferris Wheel. But the deeper he digs, the more complex the case becomes, and Edmund soon finds himself drawn into a nightmarish web of conspiracy and murder. Before long he himself is implicated in not one but two seemingly impossible crimes.

Hugo Hayes has it all; the voice, the money, the looks. Adored by fans all over the world, there's nothing more he could ever wish for. Or so it appears. But no one sees what happens off stage. Nobody knows where he came from, what he goes through, where he's heading . . . Except the girl he left behind. She'll know. She always did.

Set in 1920s Europe, this poignant dark academia novel sheds new light on Shakespeare’s masterpiece, finally allowing Laertes to tell his side of the story. Laertes Belleforest lives two lives: a wild, passionate one with his best friends studying Classics in Paris, and a stifling existence in the Danish court where the mercurial prince Hamlet constantly overshadows him. Now in his last year at university, Laertes must decide the kind of man he will become. But who is he, apart from the huge personalities that surround him and the secret guilt that haunts him?

Rowan’s days of being the other woman and waiting patiently for Alex are almost over. He’s left his wife, and Rowan is finally within touching distance of her happy ever after. When Alex is involved in a terrible accident, she rushes to him, fearing the worst. But as facts begin to emerge that cast doubt on the accident and the true nature of Alex’s first marriage, Rowan is left devastated. And little does she know that a bigger shock is yet to come.

Dundee, 1937. When housewife Mary Curran became suspicious of hairdresser Jessie Jordan's frequent trips to Nazi Germany, she had no idea that she was about to be drawn into an international web of espionage. Thanks to a tip off from Mary, MI5 and the FBI launched major spy hunts on both sides of the Atlantic. This is the true story of a decade-long series of Nazi espionage plots in Britain, Europe, and the United States.

At least as far as Kiria's concerned. Ever since Firian's Tanyuin troops ravaged the beautiful city of Brithnem, she's been on the run, struggling with her new role as leader of a ragtag band, and tumultuous emotions over her former love. Will her resistance be enough to take back the Kingdom?

Michael Holland is a grim reaper working the worst beat in the worst town. Michael’s best friend is a pot-smoking tooth fairy, his boss is the angel of death, his psychiatrist can read his mind, and he counts bogeymen, demons, and clones as his acquaintances.

With nature reclaiming cities and mountainous tides drowning islands, a group of individuals—known collectively as the We—find themselves ravaged by hunger and struggling to survive. When another community—the They—promise them luxurious meals, the We are unable to decline. After following the They to their farm, the We begin to notice some mysterious habits: odd sacrifices, talk of flames, and a strange book. Follow along as the We uncover the truth behind the secretive group and learn the most important part of being human.

For detective Johan DeGraaf, the morning of April 29th, 1904 began with a foreboding gale wind, a kidnapping, and a homicide - all before arriving at the station house. The search for the abductee, a young H.P. Lovecraft, leads DeGraaf on the trail of a mysterious Prince Khan, a bizarre crystal, and a clandestine underworld of intrigue and debauchery centered around an ancient alien evil older than humanity itself.

In a wasteland ravaged by plague, Lumsden Moss steps out of a decaying prison. Armed with a satchel of yellowed notebooks containing the fragile memories of five murdered children, he is determined to track down and confront their killer. Lumsden, accompanied by a stranger, begins a long journey to the ancient City of Steps where he is forced to confront the horrors of the past and present.

Join James and his friends as they once again join forces with miserable pirates this time on a quest to save his mother from the vile Kraken's Curse. Will they be able to save Isabel Cutlass or will their plans be foiled by the dreaded Demetrius Galland and the famous Blackbeard himself?

Through the enduring eye of Sherlock Holmes, noted historian Jeremy Black traces how Holmes and his milieu evolved in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books and how Holmes continues to resonate today. Black explores the context of Doyle's ideas and stories and why they struck such a chord with readers in London, and ultimately the world. Drawing on a masterful knowledge both of Doyle's era and his writings, this entertaining and wide-ranging book uses the Holmes stories to bring Victorian England to vibrant life, a world where crimes large and small abound.

When everything you imagine is within reach, what will you choose? Few people can create reality from imagination. Firian Kess is one of those few. When Firian’s ability earns him a coveted spot in the mysterious Tanyuin Academy, he finally has a chance to prove his worth. Despite obstacles and rivals, he stays intensely focused, determined that nothing will stop him from becoming the world’s best warrior.

In a time when pirates ravage the seas, Damean Briggs' mutinous crew kidnaps the admiral's daughter, Penelope. James Cutlass must join forces with pirates to find her and combat the murderous Pirate King. Neither allies nor enemies are ever as they seem out on the great seas! Forced to trust such strangers, will James be able to save his friend, or will they all meet their miserable demise in Davy Jones' locker?