Read the story behind the beloved film – now available in Essential Modern Classics. In Prohibition-era New York City, Fat Sam runs one of the most popular speakeasies in town – but his rival Dandy Dan is trying to shut him down. It’s up to the baby-faced Bugsy Malone to save the day… Packed with thrills and spills (and more than a few custard pies and splurge), this is a mobster story with a twist – the stars are kids!

A spectacular fantasy adventure, where three children, led by Marcel, battle against the Book of Lies to find their true identities. What is the Book of Lies? It is a collection of all the lies ever told… If you open the Book and tell a lie the Book has not heard, it will add it to its collection. If you tell the Book a lie it has heard before, it will speak the lie out loud. If the Book speaks a lie over and over, it will convince you it is the truth, so a lie and the truth become one… In the dead of night, an unconscious boy is brought to an orphanage. All traces of anything that could identify the boy are removed, including the gold ring he wears, engraved with the name Marcel. A book is placed in front of the boy and opened. But this is no ordinary book – it is the Book of Lies. A powerful magic user, Lord Alwyn, uses the lies the Book contains to erase Marcel’s former life, and give him a new identity. But there is someone else in the room, someone who fills Marcel’s ears with wax to prevent him absorbing the lies flowing from the Book. For Marcel is not the only orphan who has had his identity changed by the Book of Lies, and he is soon thrown into an adventure that will see him encounter wolves, a flying horse, elves, a usurper king and his army and enchanted prisons. But the final battle will be with the Book of Lies itself, as only it can provide Marcel with his true identity.

Bite-sized stories from one of the masters of contemporary fiction. Thanks to social media, the world is getting ever more adept at writing concisely. However, Brian Aldiss was writing in this style long before twitter. In this collection of stories, Aldiss returns to the mini-saga tradition that ran for 6 years in The Telegraph, offering 50 brand-new 50-word narratives that will delight readers of any genre.

The third book in this fast-paced and hilarious fantasy quest in the grand tradition of Shrek and The Princess Bride, starring four very unlikely, but likeable, heroes. Prince Liam. Prince Frederick. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav… The four princes that have the worst luck in the world. After saving the kingdom YET AGAIN and going their separate ways, the princes are back in trouble… and this time it’s serious! Somehow, everyone thinks they have MURDERED a princess! And with bounty hunters after them, and a dastardly scheme sure to be behind it all, the princes have to overcome their differences, reunite, and clear their names. Oh, and save the kingdom again…

The gripping new crime novel in the Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series from New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman. Detective Peter Decker and his wife Rina Lazarus have moved from the chaos of L.A. to upstate New York, to a quiet town that is home to elite colleges and pensioners. Semi-retired and faced with mundane call-outs at the Greenbury Police Department, Decker is becoming bored of life. So when he is called about a potential break-in at the local cemetery, he jumps at the opportunity to investigate. The Bergman crypt contains four intricately designed stained glass windows, one for each season, two of which are confirmed as definitely fake. Along with young Harvard graduate, Tyler McAdams, Decker must solve the mystery of the forgeries. His search leads him to Manhattan, although perhaps he should look closer to home: when a co-ed is brutally murdered at a local colleges, Decker must put his search for the art thief on hold. But not for long…

The book that inspired the movie Field of Dreams. The voice of a baseball announcer tells the Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella: "If you build it, he will come." "He" is Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ray's hero. "It" is a baseball stadium which Ray carves out of his cornfield. Like the movie Field Of Dreams that was made from this novel, Shoeless Joe is about baseball. But it's also about love and the power of dreams to make people come alive. . .

Rudy Giuliani emerged from the smoke of 9/11 as the unquestioned hero of the day: America's Mayor, the father figure we could all rely on to be tough, to be wise, to do the right thing. In that uncertain time, it was a comfort to know that he was on the scene and in control, making the best of a dire situation.But was he really?Grand Illusion is the definitive report on Rudy Giuliani's role in 9/11 the true story of what happened that day and the first clear-eyed evaluation of Giuliani's role before, during, and after the disaster.While the pictures of a soot-covered Giuliani making his way through the streets became very much a part of his personal mythology, they were also a symbol of one of his greatest failures. The mayor's performance, though marked by personal courage and grace under fire, followed two terms in office pursuing an utterly wrongheaded approach to the city's security against terrorism. Turning the mythology on its head, Grand Illusion reveals how Giuliani has revised his own history, casting himself as prescient terror hawk when in fact he ran his administration as if terrorist threats simply did not exist, too distracted by pet projects and turf wars to attend to vital precautions.Authors Wayne Barrett and Dan Collins also provide the first authoritative view of the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, recounting the triumphs and missteps of the city's efforts to heal itself. With surprising new reporting about the victims, the villains, and the heroes, this is an eye-opening reassessment of one of the pivotal events and politicians of our time.

Unlike traditional textbooks, which leave students without a clear understanding of the different tenses and moods, the Collins College Outline for Spanish Grammar is organized conceptually, explaining in detail subjunctive and imperative moods, passive voice, negatives, idioms, and the rules of accentuation. With sections on articles, adjectives, nouns, and verbs, along with a comprehensive vocabulary appendix for quick and easy reference, this is the essential guide to understanding Spanish. Completely revised and updated by Professor Ana Fairchild, this book includes a test yourself section with answers and complete explanations at the end of each chapter. Also included are bibliographies for further reading, as well as numerous vocabulary lists, exercises, and examples.The Collins College Outlines are a completely revised, in-depth series of study guides for all areas of study, including the Humanities, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Science, Language, History, and Business. Featuring the most up-to-date information, each book is written by a seasoned professor in the field and focuses on a simplified and general overview of the subject for college students and, where appropriate, Advanced Placement students. Each Collins College Outline is fully integrated with the major curriculum for its subject and is a perfect supplement for any standard textbook.

It's the wedding all of Valentine Valley has been waiting for!Bridesmaid Heather Armstrong arrives for Nate and Emily's big weekend only to discover that one of the ushers is the man she had a close encounter with when they were trapped by a blizzard seven months ago and he's the bride's brother!Cowboy Chris Sweet never forgot the sexy redhead, although she disappeared without a trace. At first the secret creates a divide between them, but as they grow closer during the romantic weekend, will Heather dare risk her heart again?

When a holiday blizzard brings together a pair of reluctant lovers, the result threatens their reputations … and may cost them their hearts. Feisty and independent American heiress Violet Howard swears she'll never wed a crusty British aristocrat. Will, the Earl of Merlton, is determined to salvage his family's fortune without succumbing to a marriage of convenience. But when a snowstorm leaves Violet and Will stranded and alone, their sudden chemistry will challenge good intentions. Seized by a desire that burns through the night, they'll toss reservations aside in favor of the heat found in each other's arms. Will their passion survive the stormWill they realize they've found a love to last them through all seasons?

Grandmother, grandmother, who shall it be Who shall it be who will marry meDuke, Earl, a powerful marquessWhen my heart is given to Fyclan Morris… In New York Times bestselling author Cathy Maxwell's new novella, beautiful Jennifer Tarleton has no lack of noble suitors, but the only man who captures her attention is the one her father will never let her marry: Fyclan Morris. He's a brash adventurer, witty, courageous…and Irish! Even worse, her father blames her for their reversal of fortune… And it's a fortune—or rather, his grandmother the fortune teller—who foretold that Fyclan would meet "the one,", a love prophesied in the stars. He vows nothing will stand in the way of making Jennifer his bride, but is the price too highOr is a thing called love worth every challenge?

First published as a short story in Debbie Macomber's Family Affair In Darlene Panzera's debut full-length romance, an entire town places a bet on just whom pretty Jenny O'Brien will marry . . . and her choice surprises them all! Marry her and win When tall, handsome out-of-towner Nick Chandler first sets eyes on Jenny O'Brien, she's storming into the Bets & Burgers Café, wielding a broom and threatening the safety of every man in sight. Hey, he figures, she's got the right to be annoyed—the whole town seems to be laying bets on whom Jenny will marry. Nick's annoyed as well. He didn't think he'd have to propose to romance the land away from her, but to save his sister and his ill-fated business, he jumps into the fray and bets $10,000 that Jenny will marry him. Now the only thing stopping him from seizing her land . . . may be his own heart.

To burn with passion . . . to surrender to the power of a man's desire . . . Kathryn de St. Marie's years in a French convent have taught her such things are forbidden. Still the chaste Norman beauty dreams of a soul-stirring love. But cruel destiny intrudes when she is taken prisoner by Scot barbarians though a kinder fate intervenes when she is rescued by proud, haunted Edric of Braxton Fell, a bitter Saxon lord displaced by Norman rule.Though he despises the conquerors, Edric can sense that Kathryn is different gentle and giving, yet possessing a fire that enflames Edric in turn and he grudgingly allows her into his broken life. For Kathryn's capture has tainted her in the eyes of her people, and she can never again return home. Her future rests in the strong hands of her enemy champion . . . and in a long-cherished dream of a perfect seduction and a dangerous, rapturous love.

In his arms she found the greatest joy she'd ever known . . . but his heart belonged to another. Can her love make their marriage real before their time together ends forever?

As teenagers, Raine Beaumont and Joseph Colorado tasted the joys of first love, until her father's lies destroyed their fragile bond. Now, twelve years later, Raine receives news that will take her back to her hometown of Oracle, Arizona, where she will face her lost love again.Haunted by the memory of the boy she once adored, Raine was not prepared for the mysterious, seductive man before her. For deep in Joseph's eyes lies a power that binds him to his Apache heritage, a power that promises to heal all wounds and restore long lost dreams . . . and love.

She was unmarried, untouched and almost thirty, but novelist Amanda Briars wasn't about to greet her next birthday without making love to a man. When he appeared at her door, she believed he was her gift to herself, hired for one night of passion. Unforgettably handsome, irresistibly virile, he tempted her in ways she never thought possible...but something stopped him from completely fulfilling her dream.Jack Delvin's determination to possess Amanda became greater when she discovered his true identity. But gently-bred Amanda craved respectability more than she admitted, while Jack, the cast-off son of a nobleman and London's most notorious businessman, refused to live by society's rules. Yet when fate conspired for them to marry, their worlds collided with a passionate force neither had expected...but both soon craved.

Lesson #1: Never Tempt a Lady Become a brideNever! Lady Marianne Shelton has come to London to experience life, and marriage is not part of her plan. To finance her independent future, the pretty country miss pens a series of anonymous stories. Soon they are the talk of the ton-and only she knows that her wicked hero is based on none other than bold, brash Thomas Effington, the future Duke of Roxborough.Lesson #2: Never Deny a Marquess, Thomas has been thrust into le of Marianne's protector. When she threatens to experience life with the first willing rogue to come along, he decides the best recourse is to tutor her himself. And when he accidentally compromises her honor, he's willing to accept their only recourse: a wedding. Marianne claims she wants no part of marriage, but her intoxicating allure and disarming willingness make her irresistible. And now Thomas is determined to teach her a lesson: that true love will last forever.

He would take her as his bride...but could she give her heart in return?When Egan MacBain takes beautiful Glenda MacKay as his bride, it appears that he's done so for the noblest of reasons. In truth, he has vowed at last to claim the woman he's always loved--yet once lost--to another man. But the rugged Highlander is determined to keep his passion hidden while he woos her with his gentle caress and wicked kisses. For he will not have an unwilling wife and will only show his tenderness once she is tamed.Although Glenda has agreed to the marriage, she's only done so to gain the protection of Egan's name. Yet this young widow of the once-powerful clan MacKay never expected that vows of love would leave her lips again, nor did she believe she'd ever hold any man so dear. But suddenly she finds herself succumbing to the strong, silent warrior who fills her with trepidations and a fevered, forbidden yearning to fulfill his wicked promise of the love--and the child--she aches for in the depths of the soul.

CONSTANT PRINCESS Splendid and sumptuous historical novel from this internationally bestselling author, telling of the early life of Katherine of Aragon. We think of her as the barren wife of a notorious king; but behind this legacy lies a fascinating story. Katherine of Aragon is born Catalina, the Spanish Infanta, to parents who are both rulers and warriors. Aged four, she is betrothed to Arthur, Prince of Wales, and is raised to be Queen of England. She is never in doubt that it is her destiny to rule that far-off, wet, cold land. Her faith is tested when her prospective fahter-in-law greets her arrival in her new country with a great insult; Arthur seems little better than a boy; the food is strange and the customs coarse. Slowly she adapts to the first Tudor court, and life as Arthur's wife grows ever more bearable. But when the studious young man dies, she is left to make her own future: how can she now be queen, and found a dynasty? Only by marrying Arthur's young brother, the sunny but spoilt Henry. His father and grandmother are against it; her powerful parents prove little use. Yet Katherine is her mother's daughter and her fighting spirit is strong. She will do anything to achieve her aim; even if it means telling the greatest lie, and holding to it. Philippa Gregory proves yet again that behind the apparently familiar face of history lies an astonishing story: of women warriors influencing the future of Europe, of revered heroes making deep mistakes, and of an untold love story which changes the fate of a nation. THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL. Fabulous historical novel set in the court of King Henry VIII. Mary Boleyn attracts the attention of the young king and becomes his mistress; when he tires of her, she sets out to school her sister, Anne, as a replacement. Politics and passion are inextricably bound together in this compelling drama. The Boleyn family is keen to rise through the ranks of society, and what better way to attract the attention of the most powerful in the land than to place their most beautiful young woman at court? But Mary becomes the king's mistress at a time of change. He needs his personal pleasures, but he also needs an heir. The unthinkable happens and the course of English history is irrevocably changed. For the women at the heart of the storm, they have only one weapon; and when it's no longer enough to be the mistress, Mary must groom her younger sister in the ways of the king. What happens next is common knowledge - but here it is told in a way we've never heard it before, with all of Philippa Gregory's characteristic perceptiveness, backed by meticulous research and superb storytelling skills. BOLEYN INHERITANCE. From the bestselling author of `The Other Boleyn Girl' comes a wonderfully atmospheric evocation of the court of Henry VIII, and the one woman who destroyed two of his queens. The year is 1539 and the court of Henry VIII is increasingly fearful at the moods of the ageing sick king. With only a baby in the cradle for an heir, Henry has to take another wife and the dangerous prize of the crown of England is won by Anne of Cleves. She has her own good reasons for agreeing to marry a man old enough to be her father, in a country where to her both language and habits are foreign. Although fascinated by the glamour of her new surroundings, she senses a trap closing around her. Katherine is confident that she can follow in the steps of her cousin Anne Boleyn to dazzle her way to the throne but her kinswoman Jane Boleyn, haunted by the past, knows that Anne's path led to Tower Green and to an adulterer's death. The story of these three young women, trying to make their own way through the most volatile court in Europe at a time of religious upheaval and political uncertainty, is Philippa Gregory's most compelling novel yet.

New York Times bestselling author Barbara Delinsky shares her special magic in this poignant tale, first published in 1983, of past mistakes and second chances.It's been eight years since Sara McCray has seen her ex-husband, Jeff Parker, after she fled their San Francisco mansion and stifling life controlled by his domineering mother. But the naive young bride has returned a confident woman with her own business. Jeff, too, has changed. Since his mother's death he's become his own man, masterfully in control of the family business and estate.When they meet, the strong attraction that brought them together long ago is reawakened. But when Jeff asks Sara to stay, his offer has little to do with romance. Now Sara must decide: Does she dare be just a business partner with a man she's never stopped lovingOr does she turn her back on what may be her one chance for happiness?

Bright, attractive, and both from good families, University of Texas college student Colton Pitonyak and vibrant redhead Jennifer Cave had the world at their beckoning. Cave, an ex-cheerleader, had just landed an exciting new job, while a big-money scholarship to UT's prestigious business school lured Pitonyak to Austin. Yet the former altar boy had a dark, unpredictable streak, one that ensnared him in the perilous underworld of drugs and guns. When Jennifer failed to show up for work on August 18, 2005, her mother became frightened. Sharon Cave's search led to Colton's West Campus apartment, where Jennifer's family discovered a scene worthy of the grisliest horror movie. Meanwhile, Colton Pitonyak was nowhere to be found.A Descent Into Hell is the gripping true story of one of the most brutal slayings in UT history and the wild "Bonnie and Clyde-like" flight from justice of a cold-blooded young killer and his would-be girlfriend, who claimed that her unquestioning allegiance to Pitonyak was "just the way I roll."